Everybody Wants to Rule the World
by ahiddenbanshee
Summary: "W-Well, Summer and-and- well, I-I mean, we were wondering, s-since Mom doesn't talk about, y'know, uhh, Gr-Gramma, would you tell us about her?" or Rick's Forced Jaunt Down Memory Lane (during the events of S2 and leading up to S2 finale).
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Welcome to Your Life – There's No Turning Back

"H-Hey, Rick!"

"What, Morty." The blessed silence whilst he created was destroyed first with the sound of the door to the garage opening, then further by the sound of Morty's voice. Rick didn't even turn to look at his grandson, simply continuing on with his project, tinkering with a screwdriver in hand as he waited for Morty to sputter out some undoubtedly stupendous request or question for Rick to fulfill with an adventure, invention, or answer.

"Well, Summer and- and- well, I- I mean, we were wondering, s-s-since Mom doesn't talk about, y'know, uhh, Gr-Gramma, would you tell us about her?"

The addition of Summer's voice was yet another unwelcome annoyance testing his patience. After that whole debacle with getting time back to normal he could really use a break from his grandchildren. "Yeah, like, Mom hardly ever talked about you, Grampa Rick, until you showed up again, but she's never ever really said anything about Gramma Lucy." Summer paused in thought; neither of the kids saw the rigid tension that sharply straightened Rick's spine when they had said the word 'Gramma' and the redoubled stiffness when Summer said _her name_. "Ohh," Summer hummed, "I mean, I think that's what Dad said the name was when Mom mentioned her mom a couple times to him…"

"Y-Yeah! Tell us about Gramma Lucy, Rick!" Morty agreed jovially assuming this was the simplest request ever and Rick would actually be glad to indulge them for once, but then he finally took notice of the rigidity of their grandfather's posture, how he had stopped in motion completely, shoulder's raised up close to his ears. "Uhhh, Rick? A-A-Are you – is everything – o-okay?"

Summer, too, saw Rick's position and the odd, slightly malignant vibe he was giving off, she stepped forward, hand raised to touch Rick's bony shoulder, but jumped back in shock when Rick spun around on his stool to finally face the kids.

"A-A-Al-Alright!" Rick's brow was pinched in irritation, but his eyes shone a different emotion entirely. He crossed his arms, screwdriver still clutched in one hand, "Y-y-you wanna – you want me to tell you a _story_ , i-i-is that what you waAAAUUUGHnt?" He belched loudly, and abruptly uncrossed his arms to dive a hand into his lab coat in a hasty search for his flask. He shook the stainless steel object, sloshing the contents to gauge how much scotch whiskey he had left and if it would be enough to help him tolerate his damned curious grandchildren. He took a long pull before he began, neglecting to wipe his mouth afterwards as a mix of spit and alcohol dribbled from his lips and down his chin, "O-EEUUUGHHH-nce upon a time, I met your Gramma on a prisoner transport ship, we escaped, we banged a lot, made your mom, I left a lot, she made some demands I couldn't dig, we still banged a lot, we stopped seeing each other, the e-EUGH-nd. Happy? Gr-great story? Good. Now le-leave me alone." Rick spun back to his current project, his muddled mind trying to take in what was in front of him to remember what exactly he was working on – oh right, he was commissioned to make an antimatter gun - before he was rudely interrupted with a forced jaunt down memory lane.

"What!?" Summer and Morty shrieked. Rick winced at the loud noise, searching for his lost screwdriver on the worktop, ultimately finding it stowed alongside his flask in his lab coat pocket. He took the screwdriver, briefly considering taking the flask instead. Two screw turns and Summer was babbling again.

"Grampa Rick, you can't just leave it like that! There's so much more information you're not telling us!" Summer wailed.

"Yeah! L-Like! Wh-Why – wh-what were you doing on a prisoner transport ship!? What were – what did you do to get on that ship? What did – W-w-what was Gramma doing there? Did she save you?" Morty added, voice cracking on almost every word and grating on Rick's nerves.

"I bet she did," Summer grinned, then gasped, covering her widely smiling mouth, "I bet she was like Princess Leia. You and Gramma Lucy were like the Princess Leia and Han Solo before Star Wars was even a thing, right? Am I right, Grampa Rick?!"

"You're not wrong, Summer," Rick grumped and burped with a hum.

"Oh my god! About which part?!" Summer squealed, and beside her Morty looked just as eager for confirmation.

Rick sighed, dropping the screwdriver and taking his flask once more and spinning to his overly keen grandkids. "L-L-Look! I-I-I'm in the middle of something here! A-And you're bothering me, alright? Thi-thi-this sorta stuff requires concen… concentration. Bother me later, okay, you little inquisitive…terrors? I'm busy right now." Even as the words left his mouth he winced, he'd practically sealed a verbal contract that entitled those two dipshits to bother him about _her_ , about Lucy, again.

"Aw jeez, c'mon, Rick," Morty whined while Summer had brightened, evidently noting the verbal contract as well as Rick had, snatching Morty's arm in her hand as she complied, "Fine! See you later, Grampa!" She dragged a complaining Morty along with her as they left the garage and reentered the house.

Rick could distantly make out the sound of Morty's complaining through the walls and Summer rebutting until it faded too far for him to hear. "Fuck," he sighed and tipped back the entire contents of his flask into his mouth, throat swallowing greedily until the final bitter drop slid down the back of his tongue. Black spots now littered his vision whenever he blinked, some of the spots grew bigger even as he tried to blink more rapidly. Another weary sigh exhaled from his throat as he decided to stop fighting the encompassing darkness. Just as he tipped over the edge and gave in completely to blacking out on his work bench, a stab of panic tried to reel him back to consciousness in case he might actually dream, in case he might relive memories in his drunken unconscious dreaming thoughts. Fuck. FUCK SHIT. Too late.

.

 _Date: 4072.14_

 _From: LTC L. G'Zuvren_

 _To: LTC L. G'Zuven (log entry)_

 _Subject: In Galactic Federation Custody (cont.)_

 _Still no contact established with Worvren since 35 soldiers in my company and I were detained by Galactic Federation military personnel. We, in custody, have no idea what the situation on Worvren is, if the battle still ensues or if there was a victory or even a truce. If there was a victory for us, surely we would have had word by now; we would have had contact somehow… We've been in custody on this transport ship for the past three days since my battalion was overtaken by Gromflomite soldiers. From what I understand, when we reach the main holding facility, we will be processed and held until a date for a trial is settled. Considering Worvren and the Federation's history, I doubt that settling a trial date will be of the utmost importance. They would've executed us on the spot if they could, just like they executed Dad… If I could just get my hands on the filthy insect scum that did it, I –_

"Hey! Hey, Worvren kid! L-little girl! Sp-speak any English? Earth English?" the sound of a rough, male voice broke through the silence of the massive holding cell in which they were all collected. A free range holding cell instead of individual cells seemed like bad practice for such a universally renowned agency. In retrospect, she thought, perhaps they didn't put them all in separate cells in hopes that free range criminals might pick each other off and they'd have less prisoners to process once they reached their destination. She might add that to her entry, but her fingers softly tapping against the glass screen in her palm ceased at the sound of that voice… seeing as she and her comrades were still dressed in Worvren military attire and probably she was the closest thing to be mistaken for a 'little girl' in this place.

"Wh-whad'ya got there? I-I-If you've been holding b-back – ho-holding out tech that could get us outta here, kiddo-?!" the same throaty voice mildly threatened.

"It's not," she replied before any of her surrounding company could bite back something about _showing some respect_ or _just who in the hell do you think you're talking to like that, Earthen scum_? But considering where they were? Respect wasn't necessarily due at that moment. "It's just a tablet for officer communication and log entries. The communication connection's been disabled since we stepped foot on this ship but-"

The voice scoffed, "S-S-So you've been – wh-what? Updating your _**diary**_? For fuck's sake, kid, we're on the way to Galactic Federation Prison! I-I'm gettin' a little desperate here, e-e-enough that I'm requesting help from the next intelligent beings in this shit hole."

She mimicked his scoff in return, as she shifted her legs beneath her to heave herself to stand, "Well, before you interrupted me," she started towards one of the numerous bench and tables littering the detention cell, this figure occupied one by himself, booted feet kicked up onto the tabletop. "I was _going to say_ they disabled the comm connection but if there's a chance that Worvren still stands Federation-free, they could be on their way here and hacking into the Federation's systems to reestablish a connection and will then be able to read my log entries." She paused for a breath as she reached the bench opposite the shadowed man, "They'll know where we are and can get us the hell out of here instead of having to try and break us out of prison which will prove to be a much more difficult task."

"Mm," he grumbled, "What makes you th-think you guys'll be able to hack their systems so easily?" She noted the subtle turns of his head as he sized up the few of her company who had stood and followed to flank her as she addressed this possibly dangerous stranger.

"Because I designed the system," she blinked with a slight air of blatant arrogance, but then corrected herself, "Well, my mother did, and I've been updating it. I know the system, and so do my tech specialists. The Federation stole my tech for their own use a while back. I think they forgot about that before they decided to attack my goddamn planet."

"Yikes, and I thought I had beef with the Galactic Feds," the voice chortled.

She sighed as she took a seat opposite the male figure, "Here." She offered the tablet toward him and he quickly retracted his feet from the tabletop to sit normally. "I mean, if you want to try and… and take it apart and salvage anything to make a daring escape, be my guest."

The figure leaned forward, his long fingers grasping against hers as he took the device. In the scant light she could make out a head of wild dark blue hair. "But remember who provided you the means of escaping this shit hole, if you _do_ manage something, uh…?" she left room for him to name himself, and possibly hopefully lean fully into the dim light for her to be able to put a name to a face once he gave it to her.

"Rick," he muttered as he began to pick apart the tablet piece by piece with just his fingernails and the earring he'd hastily removed from his ear to use a rudimentary tool, laying out each part on the table top for assessment of possible use in escaping containment, "Rick Sanchez, Earth, dimension C-137."

"Lieutenant Colonel Lucei G'Zuvren. Born and raised Worvren."

Rick's hands ceased movement and he finally leaned forward into the dim light enough for Lucei to see tanned skin, dark eyes, and a bit of five-day old scruff along cheeks, chin and around lips as he repeated with perfect pronunciation, "G'Zuvren? As - As in the family that _founded_ Worvren eons ago?" Rick stared with wide eyes as Lucei nodded, and he additionally wondered with slight hesitance, "As in recently deceased Tarkyo Zosli G'Zuvren?"

Lucei nodded, eyes cast down to the table top, "My father, yeah."

Rick's eyes took in all of what he could of Lucei while her piercing steely gaze was off of him, for such a young girl her eyes conveyed something of centuries worth of knowledge and exhaustion. He'd actually stopped by Worvren a few times before because of a couple acquaintances of his; he hadn't met the ' **King** ' personally, but he had been close enough to become awed in Tarkyo Zosli's presence. Certain people were like that, Rick hated to say that he wasn't one of those people but he certainly strived to be. And definitely Lucei had taken after her father in such a manner, not only because of whatever genetics from their original world were particularly magnetic (Lucei in particular was redheaded, extremely fair almost glow-in-the-dark skin without a single sign of a freckle or mole. Decked in armor it was hard to tell what she had going on beneath it, as good armor tended to do. And she was short, far shorter than the majority of her diverse company), they also oozed a balanced sense of power and protection. He got back to work with taking apart the tablet as he muttered his condolences. "Jeez, h-hey listen, I'm legitimately sorry to hear about your dad, kiddo. The universe lost a really great guy."

"The Federation murdered him, and tried to frame it as a revolt of our people."

"Holy shit, are you fuckin' kidding me?" Rick barked back, absolutely stunned. He'd heard about the G'Zuvren King being dead, but not murdered?

Lucei shook her head grimly, her entire demeanor at that moment screamed to Rick that she had seen it happen, suddenly he understood why her eyes looked so tired, but still so angry.

"A-A-And now they're trying to throw you into prison? They killed your dad and now they're destroying your planet and putting _you_ in prison…" Rick summed up, face tilted toward the ceiling. Lucei looked up from her lap to watch him, though the light was still very dim she could make out the way his intelligent eyes were thinking in a frantically fast way. "Fuck that," Rick finally declared a few moments later, "Fuck. That! We are getting the fuck outta here, right now!" he cheered far too loudly in Lucei's opinion.

But before she could shush him, he was standing up and picking up a few pieces of the tablet, namely the pieces that recognized touch and scanned identification imprints, and the glass plate.

"C'mon, princess," Rick mumbled cheerfully and took Lucei's hand with his unoccupied one. Her legs scrambled to keep up with his long strides as she waved off her entire company that was now at attention and ready to toss Rick across the cellblock. "And I'll let your entourage know what the plan is as soon as I come up with it. Basically what I've got goin' right now is, rescan the last print that was used to access the door, scan it through to open the door, then we outtie. In the likely event that we're found out, we split up and fuckin' book it. Oddly enough, I really don't feel like taking over an entire Federation transport ship today." He dropped her hand once they reached the wall panel that would give them access to the authorization scanner locking mechanism.

"Hm, insane, but what other options have we got?" Lucei looked toward her comrades and jerked her head for them to get closer. "And then what's the glass plate for?" she wondered.

"If we gotta stab some bitches," Rick explained simply between grunts as he banged his elbow against the panel to pop it out, which proved useless, even after he tried 5 more times in quick succession.

Lucei grabbed his arm with a chastising cluck of her tongue and nodded to one of her company, "Lolo!" she addressed and broke off into the speech of the Erubvubari. Rick had thought he dwarfed Lucei when he stood next to her, but holy shit 'Lolo', they were a hulking mass of pale humanoid, three nostriled, forked-tongue Erubvubari awesomeness that made Rick feel like an infant… Also the fact that he might have shit his pants a little added to that infant feeling.

Lolo made easy work of the panel with a single jab. The panel released from the wall and the authorization scanner popped out. "Yo, tell Lolo thanks for me, kid," Rick muttered as he hurriedly took his place in front of the scanner with the parts from the tablet.

Lucei grinned at up Lolo, giving her thanks from Rick in the alien's homeworld tongue. Lolo muttered something back that caused Lucei to bark with abrupt laughter and had her face turning red too. Rick glanced over at Lucei, her laughter fading but still holding a hand over her stomach, he chanced another quick glance at Lolo who had a conspiring sort of filthy smirk on their mouth. "What? W-What did they say?"

"She just –" Lucei snorted softly, "Nothing, nothing. Carry on, I'll tell you later, go on."

Rick glared shortly before continuing with the scanner. He'd successfully picked up the last print, now he just needed to scan it through again. "Alright, get re-uuURP-ady to haul ass, every-" His words stopped short on his tongue when the door slid open and three Gromflomite soldiers stood in the doorway.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" their outraged call came, weapons hurriedly being taken off safety and taking aim.

Rick was in mid-curse when Lucei snatched the tablet glass from his grasp and launched herself at the nearest Gromflomite who was about to call for back up. She sliced at the insect's throat, garbling its words and spraying black blood on her and its counterparts. "Pull them in!" she barked as she wrestled the still struggling but slowly dying soldier to the floor. Rick and several Legiak in Worvren military attire (spiny brightly colored skinned, weak muscled, blunted clawed creatures that resembled enlarged starfish) surged forward at her order and pulled the other two Gromflomites into the cell. "Shut the damn door!" she grunted as she hit the floor hard when the soldier finally gave up the fight for life and collapsed.

The door slid shut and Lucei got to her feet, but not before taking up the laser gun from the deceased soldier. Before the other two insect soldiers could beg out a single word for mercy she fired two shots, and they slumped motionless to the floor. She was still panting from the previous struggle as she motioned toward the soldiers on the floor, she muttered something in Milisarian and several of her company rushed forward to strip the soldiers of all weapons and anything that could prove useful as a weapon.

Through a crackling speaker they could make out the teeny sound of another Gromflomite trying to confirm backup in Cellblock Delta 6. "Fuck," Lucei panted and wiped at the dark blood dripping down her face, "We've gotta go," she looked from her comrades who nodded in understanding, then to Rick, "What were you going to say? We gotta haul ass?"

"Abs-Absol – Yes, babe, we gotta go!" Rick unlocked the door once more and grabbed Lucei's hand, he called out to her company, "Split up! Meet up somewhere around the admissions holding area! Five minutes! If you're not there, you're getting left behind!"

"Rick!" Lucei scolded as they veered left down the hall and then right down another, "I'm not leaving anyone behind!"

"Sure, sure, kiddo. Once we're able to jump ship y-y-you'll be singin' a- a- a- tellin' a different story." He dragged her along, and she was doing well with keeping up with his extra-long legs, wiping at her face that was mixing blood and sweat.

Rick brought them to a hard stop before a fork in their path, and he took the time to glance down to see the black blood was in faded streaks on her face, and stained into her uniform. He smirked down to her, and she raised a single brow in silent question, "Y-You were probably jonesing for a kill, huh, kid?"

Lucei huffed, shaking her hand from Rick's grip to use her moderately cleaner sleeve to keep wiping at her face, "I'm not a damn kid. I'm 17."

" _Ooh la la_ , this relationship is moving pretty fast; full names, ages, we're getting to know each other so quickly making a prison break together," Rick muttered in a sarcastic tone, glancing around the left corner, then the right as he added, "I'm 27, sweetie, my first language is Spanish and I like a stiff drink after a long day of evading intergalactic arrests."

She rolled her eyes, having to content herself with however she looked even though she still felt dirtied by bastard alien blood, "Just call me Lucei."

"You got it, Lucy," Rick uttered back and curved his arm around her waist to haul her around the right corner and down a long hall. Before she could correct him he was talking hurriedly again, "Alright. I've got a portal gun, it was confiscated when I was caught, but I'm sure they still have it on board in their evidence locker which is just around the next corner… I think… Likely with the r-rest of the weapons and junk they took off you and your group." They skidded to a halt, Rick's hands on her waist as they were stuck running in place for a moment on the particularly slick patch of floor before he toted her and himself to backtrack down the hall, away from unexpectedly very near Fed solider eyes, "Once we get our shit, I can hop us through a portal where we'll be safe. I know a place."

Lucei peeked around the corner, for now, choosing to ignore the fact that Rick's hands were still on her waist, "Sounds fine to me, as long as you do the same for my company."

"Yeah, yeah, whoever survives and shows up on time," Rick gave his assent, smirking to himself when she plucked his left hand from her middle and yanked him along down the hall. He took up the lead again, turning left two more times and then they were in front of the evidence room. With the scam scanner still in his possession, he made quick work of the door and shut it after them after they hurried inside. They split up, the room was loaded with impounded goods, personal effects, and weaponry. She headed toward the weaponry, seeking familiar Worvren military belongings, while Rick went on a frantic search for his portal gun and anything else he could get his hands on while he could.

"Say, he-here's what I wonder…" Rick muttered as he dug through box after box, pocketing small trinkets and alien drugs and hooch now and then, "Why would a universally acclaimed peaceful planet like Worvren even need an army, huh? Se-Seems a bit contradictory, if you ask m-m – in my opinion."

Lucei snorted as she strapped a belt with several holsters and pockets around her hips and secured an attached strap around her thigh, loading up the holsters with whatever weapons that fit, and additional ammo in the pockets. "What sort of fucking idiots would we be if we advertised asylum but didn't have the proper means to defend our well maintained sanctuary? Of course we have an army, of course we have weapons. And the army is completely voluntary, by the way, before you get all preachy."

"That is a s-sound argument. So Worvren really is a refuge for criminals? Like the Australia of the galaxies."

Her brow scrunched in confusion, pausing in motion for a moment, "I'm not sure what that means, but we don't _just_ save criminals. And well, not _every_ criminal either. If you've done a bad thing, then you can fuck right off. But if it's trumped up we'll provide protection. Some worlds are in constant battle, and some of their people, from either planet involved, want to avoid the fight until it's over. A lot of beings are trying to evade Galactic Federation rule; they don't want to be subjugated by the government. So they'll flee to Worvren. Worvren is a safe place, where everyone is equal, my family has preserved this oasis for thousands of years… I'll be dead before I see it under Federation control."

Rick shifted on his feet, pulling at the collar of his shirt before he sifted through his pilfered goods to grab a bottle of rotgut and cracking it open for a sip, "So you've got a lot of diff-different races on that planet, huh? Heard you speak a few languages… Y-Y-Y'know, Earth has a lot of languages. I-I-I grew up speaking Spanish and English."

"With every race that retreats to Worvren they bring their native tongue. I've made the effort, like my father did and those before us, to learn their languages out of respect and prove our devotion to keep them safe," by then Lucei was fully armed, but still searching for the next best weapon to swap out, and Rick had found his portal gun and stowed it in his back pocket, leaning against a storage rack to watch her as she talked and searched through weaponry.

"Mm," he shoved off the shelf, hands in his pockets as he approached her, "Got r-room for one more language in there?" She turned her glance up to him once he stood a foot away from her and took one hand from his pocket to tap gently against her forehead, "I could teach you Spanish."

A grin pulled at her mouth as she shrugged, "Sure."

The following sound of the evidence room's door swishing open caused both of their smiles to fall; Rick grabbed at her forearm, while Lucei was shoving at Rick backwards toward the nearest wall behind a shelf full of confiscated illegal 'food items'. Considering Lucei was much smaller in height compared to Rick, she wasn't doing the best job of keeping him hidden from sight, but it was instinctual and an admirable effort.

"They'll probably be in here! I'm checking it out!" a Gromflomite soldier called out, "Keep the door open and covered!"

Lucei mouthed a colorful curse, glancing up to Rick she saw he had a finger pressed to his mouth while his other hand ventured to his back pocket. It was a bit difficult to manage with a small Worvren Army basically royal officer smashed against him, but then again… he had a small Worvren Army officer _smashed against him_ , he wished he couldn't complain.

He managed to get the portal gun in hand and type in a familiar coordinate code, Lucei's eyes keeping watch for the soldier all the while. Rick brought his freehand to her shoulder, and with her eyes back on him he tried to communicate to the best of his abilities, hoping that they were already in tune with each other enough that she would understand his plan.

With a short shake of her head and glare of her eyes, he knew she'd figured it out. He rolled his eyes and typed in different coordinates. A reestablished plan, and just in time too. The Gromflomite soldier spotted them as it turned a corner, it let out a shout that signaled it'd found them. Rick shot a portal just beside the soldier, and Lucei shot forward to deliver a heavy kick to the insect's gut. The soldier fell through the portal with a short cry, and the green swirling vortex dissipated just a second afterwards.

"Here!" Lucei plucked one of numerous guns about her person and shoved it into Rick's hands, and took another to occupy her own hands, "Let's go!"

In a rush of lasers and shouts, they managed their way out of the evidence room and down toward what they hoped was the Admissions Holding Area.

"I've got 35 soldiers in my company with me, Rick. I'm not leaving any of them behind, dead or alive!"

"Fine!" Rick snapped back, "We're going to have to jump through dimensions though, t-t-to shake these assholes off our tail!"

The more Gromflomites they passed, the more of Lucei's company they stumbled upon as well, few were injured, none were dead. Running and shooting, Lucei was mentally doing a headcount as they got closer toward Admissions. Rick was shouting again, harshly criticizing, "I-I-I mean, wh-why do you even have Sozarians in your company?! They get injured if they stand up to fast! S-S-Seriously!"

"Anyone who has something to fight for is welcome in our army!" Lucei shot back.

"W-well you've got some liabilities in your damn army, i-i-it'll be the death of you, strategically speaking!"

"We've also got Milisarians and Argisolari," Lucei noted smugly.

Rick paused, astonished for a few moments as both mentioned races were hard to create establish alliances with as is, but to get them to pledge their lives to a cause not solely concerning their own species was something to marvel at. "A-A-Alright, you got me there. Those are some pretty excellent ass-s-setts." In addition to have their allegiance those beings separately had amazing abilities, one that excreted juices with healing properties, and the other teleporting aptitude when given access to Nitrogen.

A chueliak male called out to Lucei, confirming all of their company that had been detained were accounted for. Lucei let out a relieved noise before she nodded to Rick, "We're all here! Let's go!"

Rick tapped away at his portal gun, slowing his in pace as he shot a portal a few feet in front of them. He skidded to a hard stop and stepped out of the way as he ushered all of Lucei's company through the vortex. "C'mon, go!" Rick urged as the last few that were among the wounded being carried hobbled as fast and they could go. "Lucy, go!" Rick pressed, "Nuh uh!" she shook her head and grabbed his hand, "None of this 'I'll be right behind you' hero bullshit." She tugged him along through the portal and the rest of them trailing after. They were back to running again as Rick hurried to type in another set of dimensional coordinates. The last portal had shut, but had let through quite a few Federation Soldiers as well.

"Shit!" Rick cursed, he shot out the next portal and they rushed through. Almost immediately after stepping through that one, Rick shot two more, ordering every to follow through the second one, explaining they would hopefully lose the tailing soldiers with that.

Running through portals into different planets and dimensions continued on for several long minutes until finally, struggling for breath, and without any Fed soldiers trailing them. Rick shot out six different portals against the bases of six different purple barked trees with top high with black slimy leaves.

"It'll be safest if we all split up. These all lead to the same dimension, just different sectors of different galaxies, far from Federation control. Lay low for a couple of days, and whoever ends up closest to Worvren, send a message about the status of the planet, whether it's cool to head back or…" Rick sighed, knowing he really didn't need to finish that sentence. His eyes caught sight of Lucei with her gaze fixed towards the ground as she supported one of her exhausted comrades. "Any-uh-anyway. This one's for Earth, five of you that are more humanoid, you're likely to blend in easier, so you can come with us."

The Worvren company waited until the orders were confirmed by their commanding officer. Lucei raised her sullen glance from the ground, looking at each face of her soldiers and friends. She pulled in a deep breath through her nose, straightening her posture and nodding in thanks as she passed off her weakened reptilian comrade to another. "Establish contact in 72 hours. Each group should have someone familiar with tech and communication. Designated tech specialists will use emergency galactic distress signal MuRhoTauUpsilon – confirmation code 19211313518… I hope to see you all back home very soon."

The Worvren company stood at attention and gave their customary salute. Lucei returned it and they all began to split up and disappear through the portals. Five portals closed up, the only one still illuminated and waiting was set for Earth. The other five humanoid aliens had stepped through by Rick's direction while Lucei had watched her soldier's vanish one by one, hoping that that wasn't the last she'd ever see of them. She turned to see it was just Rick and herself left, with his hand extended out towards her, she took it gratefully and stepped through the green swirl; neither one aware of what hardships were to follow.

.

.

Note: I am grampa loving scum. And if you follow me already, you'll know I _**have**_ to fill in the blanks when there is an absent mother/wife figure whose identity and reason for being absent is shrouded in goddamn mystery. It was only a matter of time…

I've reviewed this chapter twice, I don't have a beta reader, and I'm hoping there are only very few mistakes.

Anyway this **should** be a 5-part story. And I thought I'd put up this chapter because I'm 50% sure I'm gonna be pissed off at work tomorrow and if I see follows or favorites or reads or reviews during the day, it'll cheer me up. Thanks for reading! As per usual I don't own a goddamn thing concerning Rick and Morty.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: A Thousand Miles and Poles Apart - Where Worlds Collide and Days Are Dark

In a way, Morty felt like he was prepared – like a battle-ready soldier, equipped and apt for the call no matter the time or day or circumstances – when it came to his grandfather's drunken antics or seemingly dire slapdash adventures. He felt like he was so attuned to being woken from his deepest sleeps in the dead of night that he could almost anticipate the sound of his bedroom door handle being jiggled open by clumsy unsteady hands before it happened.  
So he was already half awake by the time Rick had pushed his door open and stumbled through the dark to switch on his nightstand lamp. He was already prepared to jump out of bed and pulled on his jeans and rush to the garage to hop in the spaceship or run through a portal trailing after his grandfather's lab coattails… But instead, what happened was something he was not prepared for.

Morty was still blinking blearily against the brightness from his bedside lamp, but he could clearly see Rick's somber visage. Morty scrambled to make room when he saw his grandfather tipping precariously on one leg until he fell to sit on the side of Morty's bed. His eyes blinked slowly, shining not with the thrill of impending adventure, but with tears of repressed mourning. "R-Rick?" Morty ventured quietly, "Y-You okay, man?"

Rick was quiet for some time after Morty asked that, and as the silence continued Morty wondered if Rick had even heard him at all, or if the old man had managed to fall asleep with his eyes open while sitting up. He was about to poke at Rick's back and voice his concern once more, but stopped in motion; his hand dropped to the covers pooled at his hips and his mouth snapped shut when Rick took a shaky inhale.

"Suh-" A too-watery-burp-likely-almost-vomit sound caused Rick to pause, he swallowed down anything that was trying to force its way out of his throat before he continued, "Sometimes… I… miss your gramma, Morty," Rick mumbled with a slur, "Sh-she had – y'know, she was a great dancer and n-n-not th-the grea-EUGH-test singer but she could s-sc-EUGH-ream li-like you wouldn't believe… She had an ass that could b-b-be – start wars, y'know, Morty? Thighs that could k-kill – cr-crush skulls. Great tits…"

Although it was kind of awkward that Rick was painting a very descriptive (and shamefully effective) picture of Morty's departed grandmother with passionately drunken words, Morty was astounded to hear Rick talk about his deceased wife at all. Three days ago he and Summer had asked Rick about Gramma Lucy, and the man had been passed out in his workshop ever since… well, as far as Morty knew. He'd snuck into the garage the same night to try and squeeze some more information out of Rick but found the man slumped against the worktop, drool collecting on the surface and around his forgotten project. He'd draped a blanket over Rick and left it at that. This was the first he'd seen and heard of the man since then. "Wow, Rick. I-I've never even heard Mom talk about Gr-Gramma before."

"M-Morty, your gramma – she-she-she was m-more than her looks, a-a-a lot more… She was a… a gr…great woman, Morty. One of the universe's best."

The teenager would be lying to himself if he said he was trying to keep his grandfather talking purely because he was intrigued and that talking might also be therapeutic for Rick… he was also fueled by egocentric pride because Rick had sought out _just_ Morty instead of his sister, or both of them at the same time, like he'd promised. He was a selfish little bastard like that, he knew. "W-w-what happened to her?"

Rick was blinking slower, his eyes remaining shut longer, the moisture collecting in his eyes never slipped down his cheeks, but stayed glittering his eyelashes, "L-Lost her… I lost her, Morty. She had-had her head clouded with rev-EUGH-enge, Morty. Tried to stop her…" Rick was beginning to slump, back bending forward and swaying left then right, "Didn't…" he slumped completely to the left, head buried in Morty's pillow, "Didn't make it in… time." A soft snore and mumbling was heard after that, and Morty knew he wouldn't be able to get anything more from his grandfather this night. He didn't worry about jostling Rick as he slipped out from under the covers and climbed over Rick's form. He hefted the old man's long legs onto the bed and tried to shove him a bit more toward the center of the bed so he wouldn't turn and fall off during the night. With Rick well situated, Morty clicked off his lamp, and stumbled over his soccer cleats and forgotten Legos in the dark, cursing viciously under his breath as he headed toward the stairs to get some more sleep on the couch.

.

"Okay, so where are we?"

"Muskegon."

"I thought you said this was Earth."

Rick sighed, belatedly reconsidering letting the Tarklians come with them, "It is! This is Earth, dimension C-137. Continent – North America. Country - United States of America. State – Michigan. City – Muskegon. Date - March 3rd 1979."

"Oh…" one Tarklian hummed, "So then where do we go now?"

"My place," Rick grumbled, "It's not very big but it'll have to do for now. And ho-hopefully in three days you guys will be able to head back to Worvren anyway, so."

Night had fallen, so it was dark enough for Rick to navigate the streets with a human enough if not slightly odd looking and alien military attired group in tow unnoticed. He'd yet to release Lucei's hand and that point he wasn't sure if it was conscious or unconscious in action. Either way, he almost felt compelled to stoop down and let her hop onto his back to carry her the rest of the way home, with the way she was lagging with excess exhaustion after all the adrenaline had worn off.

They arrived outside a small house within an expansive neighborhood littered with houses of the same design after maneuvering through back alleyways and sidewalks with broken street lights. Rick shuffled around his pockets for his keys but ended up cursing and just shooting a portal onto the front door. They all walked through and Rick flicked on the first light switch in the entry hall. A small living room with a couch and television set was illuminated, Rick tossed his portal gun on the entry way table next to a forgotten ring of keys. "Alright," Rick hummed as he turned and took in the refugees, suddenly his small home felt even smaller, especially with Lolo's head nearly scraping the ceiling. "Umm," he finally dropped Lucei's hand and used his right hand to shove up his left sleeve, revealing several watches, "O-Okay, shops close soon, b-but I can get you guys some clothes really quick. It won't be mmmuch but it'll be better than armor-"

"Really?!" the two Tarklians similar in looks but different in gender, designated as P'palwin and Solir, exploded with a shriek of joy, "You'll get us Earth clothes!?"

For a moment Rick was confused, but then he remembered Tarklians obsession with Earth human life, no doubt fashion was a big part of that obsession too. "Y-Yeah, lemme just – I gotta grab a scanner, and I-I-I'll, y-y'know… Do you guys have like… underclothes beneath the armor? It'll be easier to scan for accurate sizing without the, uh, th-the armor in the way. Then I'll run out and get you guys something to chill in 'til we get that message in three days." Rick started for his workshop, which was essentially the garage and whatever bordering rooms he'd let his work spill into. He growled in his throat when he found he was being trailed after by P'palwin and Solir.

"Why can't we go with you?" Solir asked.

"Yeah!" P'palwin added uselessly.

"B-Because you're dressed in military uniform?" Rick rationalized as he pushed through the door to the garage and into his cluttered workshop, he began digging through boxes filled with finished and unfinished devices and apparatuses, "I-I-I mean, sure it could pass off as a-a costume or something, but I don't think we should take tha-that – run that risk, y'know? W-W-We wanna lay low, right now. Get me?"

The Tarklians deflated, muttered their understanding, "Sure, sure, of course."

Rick produced one of his inventions, it was from several years ago, and he wasn't even sure why he made it, but it scanned a body for 100% accurate sizing. Admittedly he was always a little drunk when he had his 'great invention ideas', so there was likely another part to it but he just hadn't stayed drunk enough to create the rest of it. He shouldered past the Tarklians who shadowed him once again as he returned into the house. He stalked down the hall into the living room where he found the rest of the Worvren soldiers and their commanding officer stripped down to what was essentially under armor that resembled medieval chain mail in function, but was far thinner and likely far stronger and more efficient given that it was made to prevent damage from laser and other galactically innovative projectiles far worse than a sword or a jousting lance.

Rick has seen plenty of people of various genders and alien species naked before, he was an Earth male well versed in different types of sexual congress… and those two facts basically went hand in hand. So seeing Lucei void of armor - he was a man still in his prime, he liked to think – all-consuming feelings and thoughts of lust were unavoidable, and he wished he'd opted for a less tight pair of trousers.

For all that Rick was skinny and tall, Lucei was short and shapely and goddamn voluptuous. He couldn't keep his thoughts from playing out numerous hot scenarios in his head. Possibly that was something to do with the genetics of her original race; he would have to ask her about that. "S-So just stand still," he grumbled and got to scanning.

After the troublesome Tarklian two were scanned last, Rick had his info and stammered under his breath as he patted his pockets for his keys. "So I'll be back in a flash, uhhh…" he headed for the door and grabbed his keys, but then saw the portal gun. He checked the charge and sighed, putting it back down; he'd have to make a trip to Lisarkes VI for those particular energy crystals he'd stumbled upon a short while ago that gave his portal gun long lasting charges with just a small amount of crystal shards. He'd also need a reinforced gas mask for that trip. Shit. "Oh…" he murmured, free from his thoughts as he turned back to his company, he had _company_ , he had to be a good host or something, especially if this ended up with an alliance established between him and Worvren… and Worvren's princess… or rather… new Queen. If Rick was honest with himself, he didn't have a bucket list, he just did shit he thought was fun and strived to learn new things in what short amount of time he had, but if he did have a bucket list, banging alien royalty would be one of the top three items. "Sssoooo," he mumbled, "There's possibly food in the kitchen. I've been gone for about a week so whatever is in the fridge is questionable, but have at it i-if you're willing to risk the shits. Um," he paused as he turned his gaze onto Lucei, who looked absolutely on the edge of sleep while still on her feet, but also quite filthy from the fight on the Federation's prisoner transport ship. "Yo, Lucy. You look half dead b-but uh, there's a shower, in my room. You can use it a-and-and each of you can use it, y'know, if you want. And by that time – I'll be back with new shit for you to wear." Rick gestured to the hall he'd disappeared down a few minutes prior, "It's the door on the left."

Lucei nodded, murmuring a quiet thanks as she followed his directions, already shifting her arms out of the sleeves of her under armor as she went. Rick fought hard against himself to keep his eyes from lingering on that image until it vanished from sight around the corner. "Okay, so gimme at least an hour, three hours tops. If I'm not back in three I'm probably captured by Feds again. So, uh, a-avenge me, if that happens, okay?"

.

Rick was a bad man. He knew this, he was aware of it, he could admit it.

As he faced down a section of women's underwear he absolutely let his mind wander and fill to spilling with images of Lucei in whatever frilly, gauzy, slinky underthings his eyes landed on. He had the power, he had the choice in what Lucei would wear under her clothes… But then again, the Worvren warriors in his home were probably all set concerning underwear… But then again, he didn't really know the common dress code for Worvren soldiers. And he was running out of time, he'd basically blindly grabbed at pieces of clothing that had the correct tag sizes he was looking for for his numerous guests, and he'd have to do the same for undies. Better to need and have, than to need and not have… Though he grieved the thought of not being able to get Lucei a sexy set of panties. Shit, he was usually pretty good about keeping his libido on lock, it had to be something about her race, something that wasn't helping him keep his cool, right? Probably? Maybe? Redheads normally didn't do it for him, but god-fucking-damn.

.

Rick cut the engine of his Camaro, the thing was ten years old and barely had any miles on it since his preferred mode of transportation was portals. He gathered all of the bags from the back seat and kicked through the front door, dropping the bags and spilling the contents onto the living room couch, "Alright, Merry early Christmas every-everybody." The Tarklians dove into the pile and grabbed what was theirs and then some. Rick had to divide everything among the group so those psychos wouldn't leave someone half-dressed or stark nude.

The last set of clothes was for the C.O. who was absent from the party in the living room. While the soldiers set to changing Rick grabbed the last bag and wandered toward his room. The room was dark, but there was a humid draft lingering from his ensuite bathroom which was also dark. As his eyes adjusted, in addition to the scant light from the living room down the hall, he could make out a lump in his bed. "Human eyes take too damn long to grow accustom to darkness," a muffled voice criticized. "Are you gonna come over here or what, Rick?" Lucei's voice sounded again, slightly clearer than before.

Rick snorted and waltzed into his room, swinging the bag from his hand so it flew and landed with a thump on Lucei's scrunched up form beneath his bedsheets. "Dickhead," she murmured, and he snorted in amusement again before he launched himself onto the bed, jostling her as the mattress jumped and squeaked with his sudden weight.

"Winny and Solir losing their shit over new Earth clothes?" she wondered quietly, and Rick could finally just barely make out her eyes peeking out from atop his blankets. Skin clean of dark blood, her red hair was loose and wild and still drying across the pillow beneath her head. He wished he could see her more clearly but didn't want to disrupt this peace with blaring light.

"Mhm. Cr-crazy bastards tried to claim all of it for themselves." Rick arranged himself onto his back, stretched out with his hands folded beneath his head. "So those two are Tarklians. I think the other two are Zuravgan…"

"Gluk Dae, they're Zuravgan. And Wockar is Z'Lujonor."

"Ah, right, I-I've mixed those up before. Nearly got my ass kicked a couple times for it."

"Easy mistake to make for someone who's not familiar."

"And Lolo?"

"Lolo is Erubvubari, she is my second in command."

"R-right, cool, cool," Rick hummed, "A-And, uhh, wh-where are you from? I-I-I-I know you said born and raised Worvren b-but..."

"Sirenum," Lucei muttered into the blankets, "Well," she poked her face out of the covers to speak clearer, "Mostly Sirenum. I think my great great grandfather or grandmother was… something… not Sirenum… And my mother was only about a quarter, so that's probably why she, uh… Couldn't handle the gestation, since my dad was a fully Sirenum male. That's what the doctors assumed at least."

"Jeez, kid, lost both your parents? You are one tragic action heroin."

"My mother's still alive. She's just in stasis… Well… at least…" she grew quiet, "I hope she's still in stasis."

Rick puffed out a quiet sigh, this wouldn't get him anywhere, making her sadder than she already was; she was still mourning her father, her home world was currently in jeopardy with the Galactic Federation lightyears away. He turned back onto his side to face Lucei and extended his arm around her, hauling her close to him. He started to mutter shit about himself to get her mind off of what he'd carelessly and callously brought up. He talked about growing up in Mexico with his parents until he was about 11, how, much like Lucei's parents, his mother was Mexican while his father was mostly diluted Pottawatomi. He then talked about moving to Texas, then moving to Michigan while the divorce was quickly impending, then the divorce happening, and his mother winning custody since his father bailed completely. He talked about how he focused all his pent up anger-charged energy on science and successfully built his first portal gun as a means to finally escape his confusing-unsatisfying world.

She'd snort and comment and laugh and give her apologies here and there as he spoke until eventually she was quiet, and her breathing puffed warmly and in a soft slow rhythm against Rick's chest.

With Lucei asleep he filtered through his memory about what he knew of Sirenum… They originated from Mnemos-UpsilonNuEpsilon (Mnemos-YNE). That planet had been destroyed thousands of years ago. Mnemos-YNE was yet another planet that had resisted Galactic Federation control and was ultimately eliminated from the galaxy… Hardly any spoke of that planet since it's destruction, hardly any remembered it or the race it was home to. Sirenum.

Those that had survived the destruction fled to every corner of the galaxy in search of a new home or a place for refuge at least. One of Lucei's ancestors founded the empty planet previously unnamed and called it Worvren - a newly colonized planet open to refugees of other worlds that have been ravaged or are currently in the midst of war, or lost their home worlds entirely, a temporary home for some, and a permanent sanctuary for others (Eventually recognized as a lethal rebel planet that is safe haven to 'criminals' aka free fighters against Galactic Federation control). Word spread throughout the galaxy, and over time Worvren had enough population to rightfully call itself a planet… But back to Sirenum… Rick could have sworn he'd heard or read something about them before.

Sirenum were a race of inherently beautiful beings, that was their most notable trait, they were beautiful to any and every creature who ever had the misfortune to look upon them. What went unnoticed by those who looked up on them was that they were one of the most technologically advanced species in all the galaxies. The most ancient and first Sirenum beings had used tractorbeams to capture spacecrafts that ventured too close to their atmosphere. The beam had a neural disrupting wave so that the passengers would be engulfed in a soothing song, something that was so encompassing they didn't even know they were being pulled toward a planet that housed winged, gorgeous beings that oozed intoxicating actively-augmenting pheromones to lure in their prey, a planet which was home to beings who were not at all cannibalistic but instead glorified needless death.

Of course, those were the **first** of the Sirenum kind. Over time they evolved by - to put it gently - _welcoming_ other species to their planet to procreate new Sirenum people. It was a strict system, so the genetics of the Sirenum were never too muddled. Eventually they ceased being born with or growing wings as they grew older, their diverted lineage and diverse parentage didn't glorify death, so they had become a kinder people. They focused on their technology and opened up trade and communication with other planets and galaxies… Most would see their genetic crossbreeding and evolution as their first mistake, and opening communications with other worlds as their last.

Sirenum were so beautiful physically that they were not taken seriously as creatures of intelligence. The pheromones had mutated with Sirenum descendants, causing instead of a sedated effect, something feral and galvanized. Many attempted to invade the planet and steal the people, as most grotesque, patriarchal driven societies operated. But Sirenum were still fierce in fight, and they certainly wouldn't go down so easily. But when engaged in constant battle they grew weary, and when a planet's people are weary and vulnerable, the Galactic Federation takes its moment to strike… a proposal to confederate.

Subjugation is what they were fighting all the time, so of course they refused the Federation's 'helping hand' when it was offered. There was enough time to evacuate, but even then they were few in number now… If the galaxy saw Sirenum as living sex dolls then of course they would refrain from the public eye, wouldn't boast about what they were or where they hailed from.

Rick turned his glance downward to Lucei… Pheromones… surely they were diluted after millennia of intercrossing other species and races but… He inhaled her scent and felt completely enthralled, like the first time he got drunk off whiskey… Dormant pheromones of a natural born predator? Pheromones that tapped into primal mating instincts? So was Rick simply prey to the aroma she gave off or… Rick abruptly lifted his nose from its place buried in the top of her hair, "Oh shhhiiit." Was he in love with her?

.

Lucei was wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, unashamed of the several loud snorts that had punctuated her sudden bout of laughter.

"Okay, what did she say _this_ time?" Rick asked in a bored tone, though he truly wanted to know and was getting tired of not being able to understand Lolo, especially with the way she seemed to be a total shit-talker that had Lucei in hysterics with every little comment she made. He'd have to brush up on his Erubvubarian, goddamn it.

"She was just saying how sad that computer is, Earth tech and such. It's just – it's kind of hard to translate into English," Lucei waved him off, still giggling under her breath.

"Uh huh, I'm sure," Rick grumbled as he tapped away at the keyboard, squinting at the low resolution 6x6 screen of the tube monitor.

Today was the day that they would sync up with the Worvren emergency distress signal, it had been 71 hours, and this last hour had Rick hunched over his computer with Lucei and her comrades hovering over him, their hot mocking alien laughter gusting over his neck. He was going to be so goddamned glad to see them gone.

"Alright," Rick hummed, "Aaaand, we're online. How long do you think it'll take to reach the others?" he asked, spinning on his stool to face his company and jam his hands into his newest lab coat – the last one had caught fire while he was at a friend's place, he was hoping this one wouldn't meet the same fate, shit was expensive.

"Should be instantaneous," Lucei murmured, eyes trained on the screen, waiting for a response of any kind… Anything. Anything at all…

An entire 24 hours passed. The other five Worvren military personnel had fallen asleep in various rooms of the house, Lolo had been dutiful to stick beside her commanding officer while Lucei stayed hunched on the stool, eyes dry and bloodshot as she stared at the screen.

Rick had returned from a food run to find Lolo seated against the garage wall to left of the door, and Lucei's unmoving face illuminated in low resolution light from the black and green computer screen. He'd left after Lucei had started muttering and fiddling with his computer at the 30-minute mark following the initial code send off. She was very experienced with tech so he didn't harbor a single worry when it came to damage to his computer, if anything he assumed it might end up a little bit upgraded after she was finished messing with it.

He'd gone for food to properly stock up his cupboards and fridge. The trip to the liquor store wasn't needed, but he figured why the hell not. And seeing the way Lucei was still so determined but very clearly defeated, he figured he was unconsciously right in his decision to stop for new booze, and he would even be courteous enough to give her one of the new bottles untainted by his lips.

"Lucy," he muttered, "Hey, c-c'mon. We'll keep the thing on all night, I'll get those Tarklians shitheads to take turns watching it. You need a break, babe, c'mon." He approached her carefully, and when she didn't strike out against his touch on her shoulder, he spun her around on the stool to face him. Leaning down he checked her eyes, they were very red from her unwavering stare, but she hadn't shed a single tear. She allowed herself to blink again, and again, and finally registered Rick in front of her and what he'd said, nodding slowly as she did. "Yeah," Rick nodded along with her, "C'mon."

.

She wasn't shy to the liquor at all. In fact, Rick should have expected that, seeing as she was from a galaxy that had some of the best liquor he'd ever tasted – which was admittedly a one sip before he blacked out kind of deal… _**So**_ good.

On second thought, she said she was 17. Was alcohol consumption a hot topic of debate in her culture… or planet…? Or was that just a stupid Earth thing? From the way she was drinking straight from the bottle without the slightest wince, he figured alcohol wasn't an issue for under aged… or uh… teenagers. Was she considered under age? Fuck, regular morality was a bitch and the reason Rick had stepped through the first portal he'd ever created without fear of what he'd see or meet on the other side, but intergalactic morals? Fuck! Maybe 17 years translated differently in Worvren. How long was their calendar year, anyway? Would that be a weird question to ask? Fuck, those bellbottom jeans were a terrible idea, but damn it she wore them so goddamn well.

"Rick?"

He was shaken from his thoughts, sloshing some rum from his own dusty bottle. He cursed at the liquid soaking into the leg of his trousers before looking back to Lucei, "Huh?"

"I said, what do you do for work, Rick?"

"Oh, uh, ummm…" he sifted his free hand's fingers through his hair, scratching at his scalp briefly, unsure of how to name his 'profession'. "Commissioned…uhhh… Inventor… I guess, you could call it… I-I also play with a band, doesn't bring a lot of cash in… well, it _does_ , b-but after parties, y-y'know? And the exchange rate for some galactic currency to American dollars is just fucking stupid, I-I-I mean..."

"Mm," Lucei hummed as she took a long sip from her whiskey bottle that was about ¾ empty now while Rick was at the half way point with his. She let the bitter flavor sit on the back of her tongue for a moment or two before swallowing it down, her voice a tad rasped as she wondered, "Get many gigs? What do you do in the band?"

"Bass, mostly. I've written a few songs, some I sing, most of the time I leave that to Birdperson, but uhhh. Yeah. Y-You sing? I mean, Sirenum are i-i-intrinsically talented people, right?" Rick asked, desperate to no longer be the one talking, good god he was so messed up for this girl, he could feel his blush beginning behind his ears and tried damned hard to keep it there. He took a few pulls from his bottle as he listened to her talk, looking at her flushed cheeks once he'd swallowed down his poison of choice.

Lucei snorted, "I mean, **maybe** when Sirenum people were death-mongering predators. They might've sang and danced to tantalize unfortunate travelers? But as far as now? It's like… sure, anyone can sing if they practice enough. I've never practiced enough or given any real thought to singing, so..." She barely had a slur in her words, though her eyes glittered and were heavy lidded with the drink. She laughed, "I'll dance my ass off and probably look ridiculous doing it, but no singing." She paused, tilting her head back against the bedframe's headboard to glance at the ceiling, though she was really thinking of the stars above beyond the ceiling, of the endless space that eventually led to her home world. "My mother, she's part… well, I think, 2nd generation Mindoza, and you know Mindoza, right? They have advanced aptitude, and those that achieve telepathy and mind control are highest is social status?"

"Yeah," Rick murmured, though he was ridiculously stuck on staring at Lucei's pale throat, still stretched back as she stared at the ceiling with an easy smirk on her liquor shined mouth. He felt like a goddamn monster wanting to take a bite out of that neck… in a… sexy way… of course.

"So I'm pretty well off in the intelligence as is, but with an additional progressive predilection for learning…"

Rick nodded, "That's why you can learn languages so easily."

"Mhm," she nodded and brought the whiskey bottle to her lips once more, "Among other things."

"W-Well, uhh… Since I was anticipating you guys being gone by now," Rick paused, smirking when Lucei brought her glance back to him with a drunken glare and raised eyebrow, "I was gonna go have a quick practice with the fellas. We got a show in a couple of days."

"What if you hadn't escaped Fed custody? Would they have still played?" Lucei wondered, eyes still squinted in a glare.

"Of course not, they would've come to find my ass… Probably." Rick muttered, to which Lucei rolled her eyes, tipping back the final drops from her bottle onto her tongue.

"So…" she mumbled, screwing the top back onto the empty bottle and holding it in her lap, "I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah…" Rick murmured back almost dreamily, but he shook himself out of it, quickly adding, "Er, I-I mean, y-you're welcome to come with me… if you…" he glanced up to look at her, words trailing off to nothing, those whiskey sweetened lips were too tempting, even though he'd had more than enough to drink he felt parched. "I, uh…" he grumbled still staring at her mouth, "Umm." Unconsciously he was leaning towards her. Lucei wasn't nearly as drunk as her counterpart, but she'd been waiting for him to give a sign that the attraction was mutual; with alcohol in her system, no matter how weak it was, it made her bolder, she'd never hit on a human from Earth before so she thought she was justified in her nervousness. When Rick leaned towards her, eyes trained on her shiny pout, she let her hands abandon the bottle in her lap to grasp at Rick and pull him closer. One hand sunk into his midnight hair while the other was placed at the nape of his neck, both hands urged him toward her, making their mouths finally meet in something sloppy but soft and heavily booze tinted.

Rick let out a sound when Lucei's tongue touched over his bottom lip, she smiled into the kiss at such a chaste sound emitting from such an arrogant man; Rick's mouth opened to meet her tongue fully and Lucei let her own sound of contentment and surprise slip out. A tongue piercing she hadn't noticed over the past four days touched like a shockingly cool sensation against her lip and tip of her tongue. The grasp her fingers had in his hair tightened, and she pulled at him more, trying to get Rick on top of her; she needed to feel the weight of another being on her, had to get worked up and reach the precipice of pleasure and jump off the edge for the all-consuming bliss to distract her from her misery.

"Commander!"

Lucei's hands fell away, her lips leaving Rick's with a small smack as she sat up straighter to see a flushed looking Gluk Dae in the doorway standing at attention.

Yes?"

"The signal disconnected, Commander. Should we send it off again?"

"Yes. Send it off again. Keep an eye on it, if it disconnects again, send it out again. I'm going out with Rick for a little bit, we should be back in about…" Lucei trailed off, leaving room for Rick to fill in the blank.

"I don'know," he seemed still-dazed from their kiss, "Uh-uh, just like, uh… maybe three hours." But then corrected himself when he caught Lucei's heated, pointed stare from the corner of his eye, "Or six – six hours, probably."

"Six or seven hours, we'll be back. The Major is in charge until then, please relay my orders to her," Lucei's tone oozed authority, and Rick was practically vibrating in his skin beside her. Once Gluk Dae muttered their understanding they were gone and Lucei shuffled off the bed, stepping into her military issued boots and adjusting the high waist of her bellbottom trousers and the short hem of her frankly hideously patterned cropped sweater. She disappeared from the room and returned to find Rick still shocked still on the bed hair mussed from her hands - her hands now were full of liquor bottles and Rick's portal gun. "You've got about enough charge for two more portals, if I'm reading this right. I know a place with these crystals that-"

"Lisarkes VI?" Rick finally showed signs of life and hopped off the bed to take the portal gun in hand.

"Well, there too, but Aquillaee XI has a breathable atmosphere, and better crystals," she countered.

"No shit?" Rick responded in surprise, "Coordinates?" And he tapped in the code as she rattled it off without a single stammer or question in her tone.

They obtained enough energy crystals to charge the portal gun for years with little trouble from the normally carnivorous fauna and no need for reinforced gas masks. "Okay. Now, uh, your bandmates aren't expecting you soon, are they?" Lucei wondered, chewing on a corner of her bottom lip as she glanced up at Rick.

"Not necessarily?" he answered, assuming one of the items on his hypothetical bucket list was about to be checked off, but was trying to remain cool about it.

"Then we should go to Glybvis 6," Lucei offered, "Sex is a societal norm there, so we won't look suspicious at all, hardly anyone even looks away from their partners so they won't report our faces to the Federation if they actually see us."

"W- Wait - Woah, what makes you think I want to do it with you anyway?" He absolutely wanted to do it with her – many, many times, in fact - but this was very forward of her… Almost… Pretentious. Also Rick wanted to play hard to get, he had his asshole moments and his bastard moments, he was fully aware of when he utilized them.

Her eyes widened, "Do…" then she narrowed her eyes to a squint as if assessing him like a deceptively tricky, stupidly easy math problem, "Do you not want to…?" She sidled up closer to him, studying the way his throat bobbed when he swallowed nervously as she stepped nearer, noting the slight shudder of his breath as she looked up at him beneath her eyelashes, "I didn't mean to assume, but the signs seemed pretty clear to me."

"W-What I meant was, that was very presumptuous of you. Just because you're a disarmingly smart, hot piece –"

"It's usually _because_ I'm a smart, hot piece that I don't have to ask for it, Rick…" she grinned in such an innocent way it was nearly scary, but the look vanished in a hot second as the formerly sultry look and tone took its place again, "It's my partners that are always _begging_ for it."

"Oh fuck, please," Rick stammered under his breath and couldn't stop himself from closing the distance between them. His long arms wrapped around her waist, one hand poised at the swell of her ass just below the small of her back. He had to hunch to bury his face in her neck where he tried his damnedest to repress a sob of relief and wanton pain.

"Yeah, that's more like it," she laughed, petting her fingers through his hair, "So are you gonna type in those coordinates or should I?"

.

At this point, Rick was pretty sure he was in love with Lucei. And he was well aware that she was using him to distract herself from her pain, which he was absolutely fine with. She'd cracked open another mostly full bottle of rum and started at it, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and replacing the cap once the contents reached the half mark. The motel wasn't necessarily seedy, but it was a place of high traffic for adulterers, and this planet was good about not judging when it came to sex – she'd made a good call.

"Alright, so what," she began as she walked to the bed and flopped backwards onto it, staring up at the ceiling she continued with a slight slur finally tinting her voice, "What are you into? I've pretty much heard and seen through a lot of stuff. If you're living on a planet with various kinds of intelligent races, and you're attracted to them and initiate relationships, you've gotta be open to whatever their acts of sex are. So what's yours," she was toeing off her boots off the side of the bed and inching her way more towards the middle of the bed as she muttered, "Humanoid forms are really simplistic, and Earth humans are pretty easy to please so I've heard, so I'm sure what you think is kinky is vanilla shit to me, so don't even be embarrassed." She took a breath and started listing off on her fingers, "Crossdressing, finger in the ass, choking, domination, tentacles, what? Name it, I guarantee you I won't be weirded out."

Rick was mostly amused, slumped in a chair near the window, once again sipping from his own bottle of vodka, as he watched the girl ramble on. Though his pride took a hit when she'd called Earth human kinks vanilla – he was no stranger to alien relationships and sex, after all.

Lucei was still on a drunken ramble, "I once hooked up with this Heathi who wanted me to hold my breath for as long as I could while I was using my hands on their horns - the horns aren't even their sexual organ, by the way - and then blow the CO2 in their face because it was moderately toxic to them… And then step on their junk." She shrugged, "Whatever gets you off, as long as it doesn't involve like… killing anyone or harming kids in any way."

Rick bursted with laughter, "Oh my god, just shut the fuck up," he rubbed a hand over his face, successfully putting the bottle up on the nearby dresser on the third try. He stood up on stable legs, but his head was swimming, he stumbled toward the edge of the bed, and then oozed down the side until he was kneeling on the floor. His arms and head perched on the bedside, his eyes nearly fluttered shut, but he stayed awake and slapped a hand against the soft bedcovers, "And get over here. Cl-EEUGH-early you're the one i-in distress s-so don't even worry- d-do-EUGH-n't even think about any- anything. C'mere, and I'll do everything, y-y'know, if you want, however you want, ch-ch-chica."

Lucei's eyes shined with drunken gratefulness as she scooted herself closer to Rick. Once within his reach her took hold of her clothed ankles and yanked her towards him, causing her to yelp and giggle. The button and zip were simple work, peeling the tight fabric over her hips was another thing entirely, but he managed it well – only breaking a light sweat. With her trousers tossed out of sight and out of mind, he gathered her ankles in hand once more and pulled her closer to the edge of the bed until she was where he wanted her. He let go of her, feet falling to his shoulders, then slipping down his back as his long fingers grabbed hold of her hips and he breathed over her clothed sex. Her thighs quivered in anticipation, eyes firmly on Rick when he glanced up at her.

"You didn't tell me what you want, monada…" he muttered, his words loud, hot and perfect yet not enough against her, causing her to squirm and bite her lip.

"Fuck me," she uttered with all the confidence she had left, "Fuck me until I can't think."

Rick huffed out a laugh, eyes still connected with Lucei's as he stuck his tongue out and dragged it over the already moistening fabric of her panties, the ball of his tongue ring adding a blessed additional sensation, resulting in an obscene moan from Lucei. "I'm not sure you could handle that, azúcar."

"Do it," she breathed, hands clenching into fists in the bedsheets, "I won't break."

Rick let out another chuckle as he hooked his fingers into her panties, "We'll see."

.

"Do you have _any_ extra cash on you? We can't just leave a broken bed there like that," Lucei muttered as she fidgeted with her shirt.

"Hey, that was aaallll you, mo-monad- babe," Rick answered, tossing the empty bottles into the garbage and kneeling to the floor to peek underneath the broken bedframe for his belt. He made a blind grab and grabbed hold of something, thankfully producing his belt and not anything else unsavory. "You got on top and got to ridin' and the bed broke. Not my fault."

"Rick!" Lucei squeaked, "I feel bad!"

"Well don't! I'm sure it happens all the time, I mean, we're not the most, like…a-abnormally strong of customers. Imagine if Lolo's people visited this place, hm? Don't worry about it. We'll just mention it, and if they bill it, they'll bill it, if not, we broke a bed fucking and didn't get charged for it."

"I thought _I_ broke the bed," she glared, though one brow perked up with evident amusement.

"A-Alright," Rick rolled his eyes, unable to withhold a smirk, he slung his arm around Lucei's waist, "You little smartass… Oh, by the way, definitely was not expecting tattoos."

"Uh…Those aren't tattoos. Those are scars."

"A-A-Are you kidding me? Were you struck by lightning?! Be-Because that's what those look like, b-but in shades of blue! They're goddam beautiful!"

"Yeah, um. That's how Sirenum scar," Lucei shrugged in explanation, then ducked her head down as she muttered, "But, uhh, thanks… No one's ever said my battle scars were beautiful."

"Don-Don't even w-worry about it." In the short amount of time they'd spent together, Rick cherished the scant moments when she wasn't meeting his sarcasm with her own, when she was bashful or unsure – _Even perfect people could be insecure_ , he thought. He glanced at one of his watches and sighed, "A-And now this only gives us like two and a half hours for band practice because you wouldn't get off my dick."

"Frankly, I'm surprised you kept up with me."

"And the hits just keep coming," Rick grumbled as they made their way out of the motel room and towards reception for check out. His fingers gripped her side and she jumped with a laugh. "You should be nicer to the man who let you service yourself with his immaculate dong."

"You're nauseating," Lucei said, laughing again, "But you're smart, and pretty handy, and kind of cute. I'll keep you."

"Thanks, princess."

.

"Holy squanch, Rick!" the untamed looking Squanch-being hollered, he had started on what was likely a berating tangent on Rick's lateness as they stepped through the portal but upon sight of Lucei the shouting took a turn, "You're squanching King Tarkyo Zosli's daughter?!"

"Uhh, yeah," Rick glanced down to Lucei, grinning as he looked at her and still grinned when he looked back to his friends, "I think I am." Squanchy was still in shock while Birdperson… well, it was difficult to gauge shock or rather any emotion at all from him, but he was in what could be assumed was silent awe as well. "Lucy, this is Birdperson and Squanchy, guys this is Lucei G'Zurvren – the space queen of my motherfuckin' dreams!"

.

.

.

NOTE: Characteristically lazy writer. I didn't go in depth with the sex because I'm lazy, but we're all aware it was Fuck-a-thon 1979, so pfft. Also drunk writing and sober editing is great, but I would not recommend drunk writing and drunk editing. Whew. (For the record, after every chapter is completed Rolling in the Deep just blares in my head. Because I have too many feelings for fictional characters.)

Happy Ricksgiving, everybody. Peace among wooooorlds.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: I Take a Trip Down Memory Lane, Like Yo, Fuck Fifteen Seconds of Fame

"Hey, Morty."

"Huh?"

"You think Grampa's okay? I mean, after the whole Unity thing?"

"Oh ye-yeah. He's just… He-he-he's going through some-some stuff, right now, I'm sure…" Morty mumbled in his characteristically half believable and awkward pubescent tone. He scratched at the back of his neck, chewing on his lip in thought.

He'd found Rick slumped on his workbench in the garage - yet again - after his dad had told him to check on him. Now, even Morty was smart enough to translate that as Jerry wanting Morty to check Rick for signs of life; Jerry being far too squeamish to be the 'discoverer' of dead things, and especially considering the fight he and Beth had the previous day he was definitely still on her shit list and she'd definitely jump to conclusions thinking he'd killed her father. Ergo, send the boy.

Although Morty was meant to be the dumb-brain-waves-cancelling-out-the-genius-brain waves, just the _**shield**_ , and more often than not the moral compass keeping them on the straight and narrow during adventures – he was beginning to notice things, he was able to piece things together like a puzzle, _if_ the puzzle was simple enough. The puzzle that had been before him upon finding Rick wasn't that hard to put together. He saw the ashes, he saw the two blown energy bulbs, he knew that was a deconstructing ray, he knew that Rick had drunk himself into a sorrow spiral and… tried to kill himself. Because Unity left him. When he approached his grandfather, as gently as possible, he was surprised to find him starting to grumble himself awake. 'All I have left of her' was the tail end of his groggy mumblings, and a few seconds later Morty found himself being tugged into the ship with the promise of 'A movie, a really great movie, M-Morty, but just after I do this one thing, Morty, a-alright, M-EEUGH-Morty?'

The visit to Beta-7 in search of Unity was awkward, to say the least. And Rick eventually gave up when Beta-7 admitted that he could not disclose Unity's location but could confirm they were no longer in Beta-7's company. Rick was quiet after that. He'd kept his promise about the movie, but even then Morty was paying about as much attention to it as Rick was.

"Actually, Summer," Morty began, "R-Rick talked to me about Gramma Lucy a couple- a few weeks ago, w-when he stumbled into my room. Ever since we brought her up… I-I-I think he's been – he's really messed up about her… A-And I think seeing Unity again didn't help at all..."

.

Lucei was born into _royal blood_ that was intergalacticly renowned for its resistance and guardian efforts; but those who wrote the history books hardly ever document their defeats and who were the victors of said defeats. From her parentage, Tarkyo Zosli G'Zuvren (aka the King Protector, and commander-in-chief of Worvren) and Laceivoora Dekal (Head of the Weapons and Defense Technology Division of Worvren's Armed Forces – aka the Queen Defender) Lucei had so much to live up to and her world was expecting it, putting that weight on her shoulders only hours after she was born.

She joined Worvren's army the earliest her father would allow. After her mother was put into stasis, Lucei put her focus into studying to qualify for placement in the Development and Advancement Department of W&D, but as she grew older she noticed she was far better at putting the weapons to use and repairing shield tech than making them from scratch. The Worvren army allows anyone (Worvren born or emigrated) to enlist, as long as they could withstand the grueling trials of basic training. So it wasn't strange to see children among the army, especially those who were orphaned, skin thickened by loss and hearts heated by the flames of revenge in the names of those they'd lost. Lucei joined her Worvren's army when she was 11, after her father had finally given in to her incessant pleads. She was not fueled by an urge to stand at the highest rung of the ladder in the army, she only wanted to make herself better and better, to be a good solider for her world, to defend her people.

As she completed basic she knew this was where she was supposed to be – training up for the fight, because the fight was inevitable. Although Worvren had not engaged in full on war in centuries – those that had established an alliance with Worvren might've called for aid and they would answer. But those battles were nothing in comparison to what Lucei would face the day Tarkyo Zolsi was assassinated, the day the Galactic Federation classified Worvren as a lethal rogue planet and war began. This is what Lucei had trained for, had risen in ranks over the past six years for, but she felt a falter in her heart beat, felt a stagger in her step, and a tremor in her hands – as she and her company were seized by Federation soldiers she questioned her decision, questioned herself entirely… maybe she was not the Queen Protector like she was expected to eventually become.

.

In the back of her mind, Lucei wondered if this was right, that maybe she needed to change her path. Music was a powerful thing, even if she couldn't sing and she had basically programmed herself into a guardian/killing machine. In the back of her mind, she was already writing music and lyrics, she was already giving this new path a shot.

The first couple of Flesh Curtains practices and shows Lucei had attended she was designated as 'Be Honest and Tell Us If Anything Sounds Shitty, Babe' and 'Side Stage Babe' by Rick; she hadn't anticipated becoming a part of the show at all at that time. By the third show Squanchy was pleading with her to take his place behind the drum set so he could take care of some personal stuff – he just really didn't want to let the fans down by cancelling the show (not to mention that these shows were secret and exclusive and a bitch to set up). He was so confident in Lucei's abilities since the moment they'd first met and he'd kindly offered to show her how to play while Rick went over some new songs with Birdperson.

After observing Squanchy and taking the sticks into her own hands and getting a feel for the instrument, she watched them rehearse and had several songs memorized, after witnessing the first two shows she had the entire set memorized. She could definitely fill in without making a single mistake, the only problem was she was nervous… She didn't want to disappoint the fans either – loyal fans that had deciphered coded messages and answered riddled equations to get to the gig, they came to see Birdperson, Squanchy, and Rick, not Birdperson, Lucei, and Rick.

The show wasn't for another hour and a half, she had time to stress and give her final answer before the stage was set and sound check completed… even though she'd already shrugged a 'Sure' and Squanchy was gone the second after, hollering his thanks as he went. Lucei was pacing, tapping her fingers to her chin in the rhythm of the songs she would have to play as Squanchy's stand-in. She pulled in a long breath and puffed it out with a quiet 'Ohhh fuuuuuck'.

"Hey," Rick appeared seemingly out of nowhere according to her overly stressed mind; he cupped her face in his hands, tilted her chin up and dropped a kiss on her mouth, "C'mon, you'll do great." He pressed his forehead to hers as he encouraged sweetly. "And it's gonna be super hot seeing you play; I won't be able t-to pay attention to what I'm doing."

(They were going on a full month of 'dating' – which translated into a full month of still living in Rick's home with five of her company while they still sent out the emergency distress code in hopes of linking up even after it failed to be received… each… and every time. But they were growing more and more comfortable with each other with every day together.  
Rick's stage clothes changed almost every show, but the collar around his neck was always present; the first time Lucei saw it she slipped two fingers between the leather choker and the skin of his neck and said he should wear this for bedroom performances too – Rick had nearly missed his cue to get on stage.)

"Don't tell me that!" she wailed miserably and thumped her head against his chest while he laughed in good natured amusement, rubbing his hands up and down her arms comfortingly…

She killed it. Of course she did. Even going so far as to scream along with Birdperson's rumbling baritone, without a microphone no less…

A hopeful collective of fans who'd consecutively attended each recent show noticed the change in drummer that had gone without note for the first five songs, had noticed the temp-drummer before she was the temp-drummer and just the _Side Stage Babe_. That collective of fans had quickly gone from hopeful to hopeless when it came to Lucei, especially after they'd witnessed Lucei tucked away on the side of the stage and Rick glancing over to that side of stage every now and then, grinning and sweating and shining bright under the stage lights and her attention. They felt their hearts simultaneously swell with admiring fondness while dashed completely to smithereens at the same time when they saw Rick swoop off toward stage left to steal a kiss from Lucei's mouth before running back out again. They had held out hope that Lucei was just a ridiculously pretty stagehand at the underground concert hall or a roadie that they had a chance with. But once Lucei was introduced as the "Sexiest Queen of the Space Scene filling in for Squanchy on drums", the collective had lost hope, believing there was no way they could reach her level now… But then again, hope renewed when they considered playing groupie instead of the fellow fan.

Lucei showed up on stage more and more, emerging seen _**and**_ heard on stage. "Hey, who knew her screaming could harmonize with Birdperson's vocals?"

"It actually sounds squanching awesome; the pipes on that gal, huh?"

"You've got no idea, Squanchy, no idea."

"Gross, Rick."

The collective of fans had stood by long enough, stood among the crowd during the shows, stood against the wall blushing with unsure adoring eyes at the after parties.

Lucei was seated in a folding chair out of the way backstage, scribbling into a notebook since she wasn't filling in for Squanchy tonight, but depending on how the show went, or how she felt, or if Rick hauled her onto the stage while a stagehand pressed a microphone into her hand (mostly the latter, considering each circumstance, it was most often the latter) she might lend her vocals to the set. Truth be told she was listening to a lot of Earth music, and had grown captivated by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. She was consumed by the idea of writing her own poetry, voicing her own lyrics, creating her own music.

So she was understandably startled when a number of voices had called out a timid, "Hey." The folding chair screeched unpleasantly against the floor when she jumped and turned to a see a group of Wivogh - hermaphroditic in gender and ambiguous I physical features – Illarians – pink skinned, three fingered humanoids of various genders – and Ergolrizi – photosynthetic bipedal beings with six arms and two antennae - all staring at her with the same shy expression. Hearing them all speak at once, it only took a few seconds before it clicked in Lucei's head, "Holy shit! Are you a hive mind?!" She practically shrieked. The collective shrank back, of course hive minds were off-putting, especially with the way some assimilated other beings with or without consent, they were about to depart before they embarrassed themselves any more, but were surprised to see a smile burst over Lucei's mouth as she added in the same excited tone, "That's so cool!"

"B-Babe! Wha-eeEEUGH-t the hell are you doing? Birdperson's been looking for you, he's a little hoarse s-so he wants you to do the whole set with him," Rick approached Lucei from behind, circling his arms around her waist and hoisting her up to chomp lovingly at her neck and set her back onto the floor. His arms still locked her in his embrace when he noticed the group in front of them, "Holy shit, are you a hive mind?! That-That's fuckin' rad," he commented. But the hive mind was star struck, their eyes bouncing between Lucei and Rick again and again without a sound from any mouth. "Seriously, though, Lucy, b-babe-babe, you-you've gotta do a sound check."

"Right," Lucei murmured, "Listen, uhh, what's your name?" she asked as she squirmed from Rick's hold.

The hive mind jumped when she took a step forward, addressing them directly, "U-U-Unity," they stammered out in answer.

"Stick around, Unity. There's gonna be a bitchin' after party, you should come with us," Lucei smiled sweetly, but her eyes conveyed something wickedly charming. She patted Unity's shoulder, fingers brushing down an arm briefly as she turned and walked away with Rick hooking his arm around her shoulders.

"A-Alright, am I reading this right? Are we gonna fuck that hive mind?" he mumbled as they made their way toward the stage.

"Mhm," Lucei hummed cheerfully, "Have you ever been with a hive mind before? It's something else."

" _You_ are something else."

.

"Rick. Come on. We gotta go home," Lucei said as she was yanking on the sleeves of her dress that was 80% spandex and 100% loud in pattern and color, the hem was scandalously short and her legs were void of the black tights she'd worn the previous night, they were riddled with holes and runs anyway, and the same went for her bra (somehow), luckily her panties were salvageable enough to wear. "Rick," she tapped his foot hanging off the bed. She made an effort to fix her hair by combing her fingers through but got tangled in snarls, she gave up the effort and put her hands on her hips, scanning the room for Rick's clothes.

"I thi-think I'm paralyzed," Rick mumbled, his face half covered with a pillow, bed sheets and Unity's various limbs from various sleeping bodies haphazardly covering his naked body.

Lucei snorted and looked to one of the assimilated Wivogh of Unity's that was awake with her, "How's that for a compliment?"

Unity shyly handed over Rick's underpants and leather trousers to Lucei who winked at them and jerked her head toward the hungover and fucked out rockstar on the bed. With great effort on both Lucei and Unity's part they were able to redress Rick like a nonresponsive, boozy rag doll. "Thanks, Un. Last night was fun. We'll see you at the next show, right?" Lucei muttered as she kicked through piles of clothes and pillows to find Rick's portal gun.

"Sure! Yeah, that'd' be – yeah."

"Just tell them Lucy said it was cool, you'll get backstage easy," Lucei grinned as she bent to pick up the portal gun, likely revealing a good portion of her ass as she did. Standing up straight again, quickly adjusting the hem of her dress, she approached one of Unity and stood on her toes to latch her mouth onto the assimilated being's. She pulled away with a sweet smile, "Later."

"Ricardo Eligius Akule Sanchez, vamos, hijo de puta," Lucei ordered in what little Spanish Rick had taught her.

He groaned pitifully, coughing as he shoved himself to sit up, his dark blue hair sticking up and smashed down in a hilarious arrangement, "Tengo que enseñarte tu más español."

Lucei put the portal gun on the bed next to his leather clad leg, he'd apparently slept on his crumpled up shirt, and there weren't too many bodily fluids that she could clearly discern on it so she brought the shirt over his head and wrangled his arms through the sleeve holes, "Yeah, yeah, but first a shower, you smell like alcohol and ass," she ruffled his hair and he whined, batting at her weakly, eyes barely open.

"Bye, Unity," Lucei grunted as she hefted Rick up, his arm around her shoulder as she shot a portal against the wall, she tossed a final smile over her shoulder before taking them through the portal.

"We fucked a hive mind?" Rick mumbled after the portal closed behind them and they blessedly had stepped through into Rick's room.

She hefted him another step toward his bed before allowing him to tip over onto the tossed up bedcovers. He landed with a whiny huff, and she breathed out her own puff of relief as she confirmed, "We fucked a hive mind." Lucei could smell the aforementioned ass smell on herself now after having only supported her boyfriend for a few short moments to walk through a portal. "Ugh," she grimaced and pulled at the stretchy fabric of her dress, shuffling her arms through the sleeves and shimmying it over her breasts and hips until it dropped to the floor and she stepped out, clad in just her panties. "I'm taking a shower first," she announced, "I'm keeping it running for you, don't be asleep when I come out."

"No promises."

.

" _3 months. 3 months and still no word from the others…_ "

" _You don't think…?_ "

" _Lo, how can I not think the worst has happened? You were all my most elite warriors. And we were all captured together. Not only was that a huge jab at my ego, but what does that say about our skills? Suppose the others were followed by the Feds? Suppose they were executed, or – or captured again? And those bastard Feds are torturing them, demanding they use the code to contact us and rendezvous so we can be ambushed again?_ "

" _Commander, you can't let your mind become clouded with thoughts like that. You're already stressed as it is._ "

" _I can't help thinking of all the bad things though! We're supposed to be home right now, we're either supposed to be home keeping up the fight, or finishing it completely. But what are we doing? We're just sending out that same damned code and getting nothing in return. I can't just… I can't keep still here. I need to do something."_

" _Commander, you know it's too much of a risk to just go back, we'd have no idea what we were walking in to… And we can't lose you… After everything that I've already lost, Lucei, I can't lose you too. I won't…_ "

"Wh-EUGH-at the hell is going on here? I hear Erubvubarian. Is a shit-talking session in pro-AAAUGH-gress?" Rick walked into the kitchen where Lucei had her hands braced on the sink countertop and Lolo's shoulder was leant against the cupboards, her massive form could just barely lean casually against the countertop. "I still can't believe you won't teach me Erubvubarian when _I_ taught you Spanish. A faAAAUGH-vor for a favor, c'mon, Luce."

Lucei pulled her sullen features together enough to put on something more pompous and disbelieving, "And _I_ already told you, Erubvubarian is one of the most difficult languages to learn, especially after having learned Spanish."

"Oh, it wasn't **that** bad."

"Conjugating?"

"Conjugating isn't that bad! M-Maybe you shouldn't have learned English first, and your brain wouldn't have been tainted by that mess of a language."

"You're speaking that mess of a language right now, without error."

"I slip up some-sometimes."

"…I can't teach you Erubvubarian."

" **Come on**!"

"It's too difficult!"

"Isn't that something for _me_ to decide."

"I swear, Rick, you'll get so frustrated so fast."

"At least gimme a few phrases."

Lucei glanced up to Lolo, her tongue pressed to the inside of her cheek as she tried to contain a smile from surfacing. Her second-in-command shrugged, her own amusement on full display. "Fine," Lucei said as she crossed her arms, "But you have to learn specific phrases that I choose, and you have to hear me out about a couple of songs I wanna perform on my own… well… with you, if you can learn these lyrics."

"What?" Rick paused to burp, "Going from guest artist to solo act when the crowd's just started to get to know you?"

"Perfect time to test it out then, right?"

"I'll have to ask the guys… Tell me what-what it is."

Lucei sprang away from her leant position against the countertop and clapped her hands in excitement, "I'll actually have you listen, I've already recorded some experimental stuff," she gathered Rick's hands into hers, "And I've been thinking it's missing something, and that something-"

"Might be me," Rick finished in a monotone, "How convenient." He allowed himself to be tugged along by his short alien girlfriend.

"Shut up, and just listen, you'll like it, I promise." Lucei's enthusiasm faded in volume as she guided Rick out of the kitchen, his grumbles faded out of hearing radius too, leaving Lolo in quiet solitude, shaking her head with a small smile.

"She can't keep still, she says," Lolo murmured to herself, rolling her eyes with a soft chuckle.

.

"Prog Vizadra. It means 'The Defense' in Roooojaxian."

"Why in Roooojaxian?"

"Because it sounds good in Roooojaxian. Why 'The Flesh Curtains'?"

"Because it sounds _squanchy_."

"Charming."

"I enjoy this music you have created, Lucei. It is different from what our group's sound is, but I believe since the fans have already taken a liking to you through the Flesh Curtains music, they will enjoy your music on your own as well."

Lucei nodded her head in appreciation, "Thank you, Birdperson… Also it'll probably help that Rick's a part of it too."

"Yeah, we'll just see about that to-t – at the show later on, huh?" Rick muttered, "A-A-And don't woOOUGHrry, babe. I'll still fuck you if you totally fail."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, dipass."

"The likelihood of 'totally failing' seems improbable, as you have included many languages of the many species that make up our general followers in regular attendance. Inclusion coupled with powerfully relatable lyrics and exquisite beats will ensure success."

"Once again, thank you, Birdperson. At least _someone_ is banking on me," Lucei glared at Rick, who just glared right back at her – they were four months on, now.

.

After Prog Vizadra's debut, Lucei became the regular opening act for The Flesh Curtains. Like Birdperson said, since she utilized every language she knew to create poetically powerful and ridiculously catchy verses and choruses that focused on strong statements against the Galactic Federation and encouraged people to band together regardless of racial, gender, or religious based qualms to fight against government subjugation. And in between the serious shit she wrote some bass rattling goofy stuff mostly inspired by Rick. Rapping was a budding concept on Earth and relatively slow in tempo currently, but on other planets it was an art to spit artistic lyrics as fast possible with accompanying pounding bass lines and manufactured musical sounds. Lucei did her best (since she was still learning), she wasn't as fast as other intergalactic artists but her own lyrics and synthesized beats were something of formidable awe in the music world...

Unity was like muscle and an entourage at once… and also someone who could fuck Lucei and Rick at the same time while utilizing several different species. It was a partially-open relationship that was functioning perfectly. Unity attended every show they could, taking up a very small town's population worth of space in the audience, and off either side stage, and already settled at the hotel room Rick and Lucei would retire to for the night following the after party. Unity was good, Unity was reliable, Lucei genuinely adored Unity.

She could pick out all of Unity from the crowd, there was no mistaking that familiar longing stare. As she finished her final song, Rick had gathered her up from the stage floor and pressed an obnoxiously sloppy kiss to her cheek as she panted out her thanks and assured the audience that the Flesh Curtains would be up next very soon. She blew a kiss to a larger collection of Unity and was then hauled off the stage by Rick who had yet to let her feet touch the floor.

As happy as she was to be doing _something_ \- _**anything**_ to distract herself from each second that ticked away without a response from her comrades, she felt off. The Flesh Curtains set seemed to go by in a blur, and she found herself being accosted by a sweaty Rick who was feverishly pressing kisses to her neck, murmuring into her skin if they could skip the after party this time, and she was all too glad to take up that offer although not in the same way Rick was.

Once they reached the hotel room, that strange feeling persisted still. She wondered if she was sick, or if it was something intuitive and she should head home to check on her company in Muskegon and the status of the code. Some of Unity was blessedly keeping Rick busy while she endured this indescribable sensation. Several bodies locked Rick in on all fronts, he was mentally gone due to having snorted something in the bathroom before getting physical and to the encompassing physical pleasure.

"You okay, Lucei?" one of the Ergolrizi Unity asked.

"Yeah, yeah. It's-," Lucei waved them off, "It's okay, I'm just gonna… get some air." The spacious balcony offered some relief, but not enough. Any other time Lucei would have appreciated the view, they were on one of some planet's 'entertainment moons', but even that was making her feel woozy. Through the glass of the door she could see Rick in the throes of complete bliss – the center of Unity's focus… Until the same Ergolrizi and several female Illarians stepped out onto the balcony, concern for Lucei clearly etched in their features.

Lucei sighed and walked to the very edge of the balcony railing and peered over the edge, though quickly understood that was a mistake (they were on the 556th floor, she normally wasn't daunted by heights) and spun back around to face Unity's various and growing more concerned faces.

"Lucei."

"I'm okay. I promise – I – I just… Could you get me a glass of something? Something stiff to…" she trailed off, unsure of how a stiff drink would cure whatever she was going through. It felt something like… guilt? No… Guilt was always lingering in the back of her mind, this felt sort of panicked, like emergency protocols were applied in her head to shut down her whole body for some reason. A glass of something thick and honey colored was offered to her a minute later, and she muttered her thanks as she brought it to her mouth, but then – just the stench of the alien alcohol before the glass ever touched her lips caused her to retch and drop it. The glass crashed to the balcony floor, shattered pieces of crystal tinged with alcohol littered the floor around her like a minefield. With a hand pressed to her mouth, she felt tears at the corners of her eyes and waved off a slowly, carefully approaching Unity with her other hand, begging behind her hand for some water.

She needed to go home – she had an inkling now, but she couldn't think straight, not in current company. Sure, Rick was her boyfriend, and Unity was their… lover(s) of a sort, but right now she needed her best friend. Her body and mind were screaming for safety, and all she could think of was Lolo. She stepped around the shards of glass on the balcony floor and met Unity at the door, a tall glass of water in hand. Lucei guzzled it down in several swallows, the panicky feeling subsiding somewhat, but she still – "I have to go."

"Are you sure you're alright? I could – Well, I can stop this," Unity gestured vaguely toward the bed that was topped with many bodies and Rick's very vocal confirmations of pleasure sounding loudest of all.

Lucei shook her head, "No, don't worry about it," she shuffled through the countless pieces of clothing on the floor, finding Rick's lab coat among them, she searched through the pockets and produced the portal gun. "He's enjoying himself… and so are you." She offered a poor excuse of a grin to Unity as she brought the long white coat around her and arranged her arms through the sleeves. She pecked Unity's cheek quickly as she asked, "Just send him home when he's conscious, okay? See you later, Un." She shot a portal at the glass door and dropped the gun on the dresser before she stepped through.

As soon as the green vortex shut after her she was shouting for Lolo, and her faithful second-in-command was standing before her seconds later. "I need your help," Lucei breathed out, "I need to confirm something."

.

Lolo and Lucei were holed up in Rick's bathroom. Side by side, on the floor, backs against the wall, Lucei was wrapped up in Rick's lab coat, short legs spread out with room to spare, Lolo had to fold her long legs to her chest with barely room to spare.

"Are you shitting me…"

One of Rick's inventions, shrewdly named 'Dr. Dx – Accurate Diagnosis Guaranteed in a Single Scan' which was written in marker on a piece of painter's tape and stuck to the side of the scanner, was on the carpeted floor between them. Lolo, having to occupy herself somehow, had catalogued all of Rick's inventions – so when Lucei wanted to know if she was sick, she knew exactly in which box to find the Dr. Dx device. True to its advertising, the reading popped up after five minutes of calculating – _Gestating – Fetal growth approx. 21 weeks – Gender: Female_.

"How the fuck…"

Rhetorical expletive-ridden questions were mumbled from Lucei's mouth every so often, breaking the silence in the bathroom. Her mind was racing backward in time to single out the point when protection hadn't been used – evidently it had been 21 weeks ago, so the blame was on Rick, they hadn't known Unity by then and Unity was always careful. Her head tilted downward to her white coat covered stomach, there was minimal evidence of a baby outwardly, but then again this was a half human baby inside her not-human womb.

But it explained why her body had gone into a protective mode – why she hadn't had an urge for a drink in a while. A pregnant Sirenum's physiology took on a defensive behavior to protect the baby or babies growing within the carrier. She considered herself lucky to have made it this far without her body basically telling her 'No' after the shit she'd got up to in the last weeks.

"How could… I mean…" she mumbled and broke off into a long sigh. She brought her legs to her chest, mimicking Lolo's cramped position, and rested her head against her knees. "I don't know about this, Lolo… I… I thought about mothering children one day, but that was before… Before all this shit happened. Since Dad…" her throat squeezed, choking on the word as the memory flashed clearly in her mind's eye, as it did almost every night in her dreams. "I didn't want to anymore. I don't think I'm cut out for it, I'm too cold now, Lo."

"You're capable of anything, Lucei. Not only because you're from noble blood, because you're more than that. You're far from the coldest being I've ever met. You have heart, you have strength, and will, and you care so much for others… You **can** do this," Lolo stated with such strong conviction, "But it's up to you whether you **want** to do this or not." Lolo paused for an answer but when Lucei didn't raise her head from her knees, she sighed and continued, "Answer, yes or no, right after I ask. Do you want to do this?"

"Yes."

"Then we should start getting prepared for the little lady."

"Oh fuck," Lucei breathed, "How do I tell this to Rick…"

.

"We should get married."

Oddly enough that was Rick's almost immediate response after Lucei broke the news about the five-month-along baby in her belly. Lucei wasn't sure she heard that right though, it was so sudden and she almost wanted to take a step back in alarm.

"… Sorry, was that a proposal? Is that how they do this sort of thing on Earth?"

"N-No. It's just…" Rick ran both of his hands through his hair, gripping at the dark blue roots, "I've never done this before. Never-N-Never felt this before. I-I-I don't know what I'm doing, but I know it's the right thing." His hands retreated from his hair to the deep pockets of his lab coat Lucei had returned to him after he'd stumbled into the bathroom for a much needed shower and stumbled back out refreshed. "E-E-Especially i-if people _here_ see you're pregnant, it'll bring a wh-whole lotta – a-a bunch of unwanted attention if we're not hitched before the baby comes."

Lucei stared blankly at Rick for a few long moments before she uttered, "Uh… okay… So, who'll officiate it, or something? I'm not sure how marriage works here. It is monogamous, though, right?"

"Yes. That a problem?" Rick felt a sudden, heavy thrum of jealousy in his stomach. Each time he and Lucei went out, even on Earth, he could see the lingering archaic genes of the first Sirenum at work, all sorts of people lost the decency to not stare at her and practically salivate. She had already grown accustom to it, but Rick couldn't. Especially at gigs, some of the things some people would shout at her while she was on stage; jealousy and fear and rage made sure he couldn't leave her alone at the after parties unless he was assured she was in the company of Birdperson, Squanchy, or-

"What'll we tell Unity? We've had a few others together that were basically one and done, but I mean, Unity's been pretty consistent."

-Unity… "Oh right… Fuck." Rick's fingers were in his hair again, he chewed on his lip, tongue ring clinking against his teeth in a terrible habit, "Um… We'll think on that later. For now, w-w-we can have Squanchy officiate. We've got witnesses in your company, and I'll call Birdperson too. I-In fact, l-let's just go to Bird World to get married, it's nice this time of day."

Lucei's eyes widened, "What, now?"

Rick shrugged, "No time better than the present, right? And here," he slipped out of his lab coat, "You can even wear this – since bride's wear white, traditionally, b-but that tradition goes along with virginity too. Seems kinda moot, at this point."

She wanted to laugh, but contained it as she stood up from her place at the foot of the bed to stand before Rick, taking his proffered white lab coat from his hands. Her eyes looked down at the coat as her thumb rubbed over cotton, she turned her glance up to Rick, searching his eyes as she asked, "We've only been together for five months… Isn't that just- it's a short amount of time. We… I mean. We know a lot about each other, b-but… I still don't know why your hair is blue! This isn't a normal color for human hair!"

"The fir-eeugh-first portal I ever stepped through. Turned my hair blue. Stuck that way. Any other questions?"

Lucei snorted softly before she tentatively asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Rick gave a short nod, "Definitely." But then a look of uncertainty colored his face, "Or unless… Are you… Do you not?"

Lucei's hands clutched at the coat as she shook her head, "No, no! I mean, yes! I'm for it, but, you just… didn't really seem the marrying type."

Rick snorted and brought his arms around her, "Well, Luce, I don't know what to tell ya. I love you, okay? So let's get married, and have this baby."

Lucei's eyes widened once again as she brought her arms around Rick's thin waist to return his embrace, "Holy shit," she muttered.

"What?"

"I'm having your kid."

Rick let out a laugh, "Yep and we're gettin' hitched, baby! Ugh, before we go though…" he pulled away from the hug and headed for the attached bathroom, "Goddamn it, I've gotta take this stupid ass stud outta my mouth." But just as he fingers flipped the light switch he was stopped at the doorway by Lucei's questioning.

"What, why?"

"I'm gonna chip a fuckin' tooth, is why," he stepped through the doorway and leaned toward the mirror, going about removing the stud and bar but stopped, he crossed his arms over his chest and leant his shoulder against the bathroom's doorframe, "Wh-What about you, babe? Wh-What's it - why're you so concerned about it, huh?"

"I'm 100% sure you know why I'm voicing my selfish concern about it. But if you gotta get rid of it, that's fine."

"Hmm, interesting answer. How 'bout I offer a challenge," Rick swaggered toward Lucei and plucked his coat from her grasp, tossing it toward the dresser. He towered over her, eyes blazing with something absolutely lustful which she met with something expectant and mildly amused. "If I can fuck you with my mouth and get you off in the next five minutes **without** the tongue ring - you won't have a reason to mourn the tongue ring and also you blow me before we wrangle up the troops for the wedding."

"Pff, and if you go over five minutes, what, you'll leave the stud in? Boring stakes, but we'll see what happens, won't we?" Lucei's nonchalant tone was broken by laughter when Rick's hands grabbed at her hips and guided her backward toward the bed. Once she fell back, with her legs dangling from the knees against the footboard, he dropped to his own knees and scrambled about her skirt to the locate the zip, all while Lucei taunted, "Only one person's been able to do that, a Evumoranean named Ned who was temporarily staying on Worvren while Scargill's ocean floor was being cleansed of an amphibious plague and even she was pushing five minutes."

"Challenge accepted." He finally managed to slip the offended garment off her legs completely, then muttered with his fingers making little circles on her inner thighs, "I think you can still wear white if I don't stick my cock in you before the ceremony, this'll work out just fine. We, uhh, w-we should probably evacuate your company from the house though, unless you're okay with them hearing you screaming my name." Rick gave her a filthy grin.

"El reloj está corriendo, Rick," Lucei gibed as she tapped at her wrist. She laughed as Rick sprang up from the floor to slam the bedroom door closed and flick the lock. He fiddled with the knobs on his homemade radio that tuned into different planet's radio stations and hit a preset that conveniently was playing at the start of a fan recorded live Flesh Curtains song and cranked it loud…

Lucei still had her fingers clutched into the blankets as she twitched with aftershocks, throat sore from screaming herself hoarse, while Rick was laughing triumphantly as the Flesh Curtain's song was nearing its end. "Three minutes and thirty-six seconds, mothafuckaaa!" He started to twist at the stud in his tongue to remove the bar completely, but found himself slammed to the floor just a blink later. He groaned in pain at having chomped on a couple of his fingers with the fall, but didn't voice any complaints – couldn't voice any complaints when Lucei yanked at his belt and pulled his pants and underwear just past his ass and rucked up his shirt enough to scrape her nails down his torso. He shivered with the slight tickling pain and thought - sure, he really wasn't the marrying type, but that was when he thought he only had Earthlings to choose from; Lucei was different, Lucei wasn't from Earth, Lucei he could definitely see himself settling down with – before his mind went blank completely, Lucei pulling a choked off moan from his throat, Lucei using all the tricks she'd learned worked best on Rick. He hoped to fuck he hadn't swallowed his tongue ring…

.

Lucei stood on the side of the stage, her eyes were searching the crowd, and she'd already looked and asked backstage if anyone had seen Unity, but there was no sign whatsoever. Her concern was put on pause when she heard the dull confused rumble of the crowd when Birdperson came out onto the stage first – they'd already grown used to her tiny, rambunctious, and often accessorized in Rick's lab coat, form jumping about the stage and pumping up the crowd before the main three took their places. "Before we begin the show, Prog Vizadra's frontwoman would like to make an announcement."

There were a few calls of love for Birdperson and a round of applause and hoots for Lucei as she walked onto the stage and gratefully accepted the mic from Birdperson. He strolled off the stage as she began with, "Well, uh, guess who got married?"

"Marry me, Space Queen, I love you!" a fan seated on the shoulders of his friend howled.

Lucei laughed, "Thanks, but you're a little too late," and lifted her left hand up and displayed her gleaming Zerentian black diamond from the Akriti System artfully embedded into a thin Uxolok silver band by her brightly grinning mouth. There were more cheers that drowned out the jeers. "Anyway, I wanted to say that this is my last show. I won't be performing again for a while." The crowd's attitude flipped, all of them crying out misery now. She attempted to placate them, shushing them until she finally said, "I know, but I promise I'll come back again as soon as I can. For now, let's just enjoy the show you came here for!" They were relatively easy to please with that, erupting into screams again as Lucei gestured for the disc jockey to start her set.

.

Lucei was a homebody now, and a miserable one at that. As soon as she'd stopped accompanying Rick to gigs and adventures, her stomach seemed to distend daily. Lolo was enamored with the swell of Lucei's belly. Both Lucei and Lolo were on Rick and Lucei's bed, Lolo's large hand nearly encompassing Lucei's entire stomach in her palm. "So how long does this typically take? For humans, I mean," Lucei asked, Rick was in the bathroom, shaving his face before a shower, the door open, as it usually was.

"Nine months-ish. What about for your kind?"

"Same... Good. So just a few more to go," Lucei snorted softly when Lolo pressed her ear to Lucei's belly.

"By s-six months most women are nearly at hidden-half-inflated-beach-ball-beneath-the-shirt showing, and you've _just_ started swelling up in the last couple of weeks," Rick called over the sound of the tap running as he rinsed his razor.

Lucei chewed on her lip, waiting until the water stopped running before she tentatively offered, "Maybe she's just small… She's… Do you think she's maturing at the right rate?"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Rick muttered, clean shaven and dry faced as he walked out of the bathroom, not even twitching his brow in question at the sight of Lolo still with her head poised against Lucei's belly on their bed, "It's probably something to do with interspecies p-procr- conception. I-I-If she's made it this far, she'll make it to full term."

"Right… So… Shit."

"What."

"I should have had several checkups by now. I can't go to _your_ doctors! Any tests they run on me - it'll give me up! They'll hand me over the government and they'll dissect me and steal the baby, Rick!" Lucei's anxiety was escalating fast, Lolo popped up from her formerly comfortable position to see Lucei on the edge of full on panic, "And then the Federation will be on this planet so fast! Rick! Earth isn't at all prepared for the type of fight the Federation brings!"

"Holy shit, babe! R-Relax! Breathe!" He rushed to the side of the bed and plopped down next to her, gathering her up in his arms. He looked to Lolo to help him out, encouraging Lucei to take in deep, long breaths and hold them, then blow out slow, several times. Once her pulse slowed he murmured, "Good… Now let's think… Is anyone with us a medical officer?"

"Wockar," Lucei answered, "But she only knows emergency care, and even that is limited to treating wounds."

Rick cursed under his breath, humming in thought until he finally uttered with a shrug, "Alright, uh… I'm gonna- I'll do it. I'll read up on it, and I'll do all the checkups from now on."

Lucei leant out of Rick's embrace enough to meet his eyes, astonished, she asked, "You would do that?"

"Of course I would, especially for my own kid."

.

After fixing the microverse that was Rick's car battery for the ship, and ditching the formerly amazing ice cream parlor that now served bugs in each flavor, Rick took the kids to the second best place for ice cream. And, conveniently, it happened to be on the same street as a rough looking bar. Rick told the kids to come get him when they were finished, he was craving something stronger than ice cream after what he and Morty had gone through.

Morty and Summer let him go, slyly picking Rick's pocket for the ship's keys before he sauntered off leaving them alone. They enjoyed their own cup and cone of ice cream for about an hour. Before they left, they got a cup for Rick, since this ice cream place's specialty was ice cream that never melted or got warm. Heading for the bar, Summer wondered if Morty would have to drive them home to which Morty shrugged, he was fully capable of piloting the ship after the few lessons Rick had given him.

Stepping into the bar they were consumed by countless types of smokes and scents, so thick they almost considered army crawling on the floor and identifying Rick by his shoes if it didn't clear or if they didn't grow used to it. Luckily it did clear after they took a few more steps into the seedy joint, and of course, they found Rick easily – either it was story time, or the old man was picking a fight with someone or some many people. Blessedly, this time it was only story time.

Rick's slur was thick and his words difficult to decipher as he burped and hiccupped after every other word. But Summer and Morty could just make it out over the bar's noisy atmosphere. Rick was explaining to other patrons, both interested and not (mostly not) about how he had performed every prenatal checkup for his wife until his daughter was born, and that was including the ultrasounds and amniocentesis.

"A-A-And I-I do-EUGH-n't know wh-what it was – what about the checkups that got her go-EUUUGH-in' but damn, th-the-the – those pregnancy hormones. Mor-More often than not sh-she wa-AAUUUGH-s on my dick o-o-once I told her every-everything was WNL." He let out one long belch and laughed, "Ev-Even u-up until the day before my dau-daugh- Beth was born, she wanted to ride it rough and fast."

Morty groaned, "Aw, jeez." While Summer barked out, "Grampa Rick, it's time to go home!"

.

Elisabettia Sanchez was born November 3rd 1979 in the bathroom of Rick's home which he shared with his Worvren wife and her five subordinates. Rick had taken Elisabettia, with sparse, wispy blonde hair atop her little head and dark eyes like Rick's (before they were squeezed shut as she wailed at the top of her tiny lungs), from the bathroom, wrapped up in a white towel. Lolo and Wockar were tending to Lucei, patching up the incision low on her abdomen, while Rick was guided by Gluk Dae and the Tarklians to the kitchen where they'd set up an area to properly clean the baby, to clean up his tiny "Beth..."

The house was quiet, now late in the evening, Beth only hours old and sleeping contentedly against her mother's chest, soothed by the familiar heartbeat. Rick was wedged up close to them, but wary of touching any part of Lucei in fear of hurting her. After slicing her stomach open with a blade, anything else he did couldn't be much worse, but still. "So…" he mumbled against Lucei's shoulder, his fingers idly, softly brushing through the dainty hair on Beth's head, "That'll scar like the… like the others you have?"

"Mhm. Once it's healed up," Lucei mumbled back, "It'll look a bit gnarly, red and scary for a while, but once it's healed. Just another scar."

"Your stretch marks look bitchin' by the way, babe."

Lucei snorted gently, "You've mentioned it before, yes. Thanks, Rick."

Silence settled between them once again, and Lucei was just on the edge of sleep when Rick's voice sounded again, "I think there's a house nearby, probably same size as this one. Th-The others could move in there, I could borrow some money and-"

"You want them to move out?" she interrupted.

"W-Well, this place is pretty small to begin with. I can eventually clear out that spare room of all my science shit for Beth, but w-w-we can't have seven of us and a baby here. And this precious little shit is gonna cry for days, they won't be able to stand it, I wouldn't want them to have to stand it."

"Hm." Lucei's hum was all he received in answer, it didn't sound particularly agreeing or disagreeing in tone, so he waited for her to continue… if she'd continue… He thought she'd actually fallen asleep until she spoke up, "What jobs do you think they could get? If we're going to be here for a while longer, and getting another house, we should probably start supporting ourselves."

"What, you too? You just gave birth and you're gonna start job searching?"

"Not soon. But eventually, yes."

"I don't know, babe-baby. Depends on what they're good at, and who's hiring."

.

For the first year of being new parents Lucei and Rick did pretty well. Beth was definitely equal parts of her parents, much more developmentally advanced like a Sirenum baby than a fully Earth human baby, though she seemed much more human in the physical aspect. Both attentive, with Lucei at home and usually the company would come back to the Sanchez place or Lucei would trek to the home housing her company just a ten-minute walk through the neighborhood. Rick had taken more projects, and the Flesh Curtains organized more gigs, because babies? They were damn expensive when it came to the essentials, but even more so when he wanted to spoil his daughter. And although he worked a lot, any spare moment he had was with Beth and Lucei. First words, first steps, teething, they shared those moments together.

And what had started as just a kind gesture from Beth's godmother, Lolo – the gift of Beth's first stuffed animal – the baby girl had unexpectedly quickly taken a liking to horses. One-year-old Beth was on the carpeted floor outside of the kitchen doorway, busied with several plush horses while her parents had a discussion at the kitchen table.

"I'm gonna apply to be a neurosurgeon," Lucei stated, and with such finality Rick almost believed she could get away with it just by being confident enough. The documentation and licensure needed was spread out on the table in front of them, and forged so precisely it was impressive, but it really wouldn't work.

He dropped a fake diploma presented to 'Lucy Sanchez' and laughed dryly, "B-Babe, you can't just-just do- can't just _become_ a neurosurgeon with forged documents."

She visibly deflated, "Why not? I read through a lot of shit, I know I can do it." And it was the least menial and most challenging occupation she had discovered upon sifting through newspapers for ideas.

"Yeah, I d-don't – no one doubts that. But you can't be an 18-year-old neurosurgeon," Rick explained, and continued, "Re-Remember when you were afraid they would dissect you? If you put your genius out there like that… I-I-I mean, some humans are geniuses, myself b-EUGH-eing a prime example. But it wouldn't work, bab-babe."

"Fuck," Lucei sighed, "Fine. What should I do, then?"

"At least say you're in your… Wh-AEEUGH-what do they call it? Not the internship, but the… th-the residency. You can be paid on a residency. A-And assist in surgery. M-EUGH-Make a name for yourself, and maybe you can cu-cut that residency time down… or something… I-I'm not even sure – not positive on how that works."

"Okay…" she hummed, "So the specialty clinic I had my eye on is two and a half hours away."

"Of- Of course it is."

"So looks like you'll have to teach me how to drive your car."

Rick shoved up his left sleeve, "I t-total- I absolutely will, Lucy. But I gotta go, I got a few things to drop off, then I gotta see the guys – Bir-Birdperson's got a new song. I should be home by… 11."

"That usually means midnight," Lucei corrected with an amused scoff.

"I will be back," he assured her as he stood up from his seat, "And I'll teach you to drive tomorrow." He leant down and pressed a kiss to forehead, then took four sweeping steps to the kitchen doorway where he scooped up Beth. Lucei watched from the kitchen table, elbow perched on the table and head poised in her palm, a grin pulling at her mouth as the tiny blonde giggled joyfully while Rick sprinkled kisses all over her chubby cheeks. "Daddy's gotta go. I'll see you later, sweetie."

Beth didn't care, she didn't know yet, she enjoyed any and all the attention her father lavished upon her. Rick replaced her on the floor with her horses, "Back by 11!" he called once more as he walked to the entry way where the portal gun was on the side table along with the Camaro's keys and the company's house key.

"I'll wait up for you," Lucei promised, like she always did, watching as Rick shot a portal on the front door and disappeared into the swirling green, his coat tails vanishing last before the vortex dissipated entirely.

It was 9 in the morning when Rick left. Lucei was no stranger to staying up til the odd hours of the morning just to be sure he'd come back unharmed. Only this time Rick didn't come back at 11, of course, but he didn't come back at midnight either, or an early hour of the morning the next day... He didn't come back until one in the morning the day after next – and he didn't wake up for another ten hours. Didn't give an explanation. No apology. Nothing.

Lucei assumed it was a one-time thing. But it was only just the beginning.

.

.

.

Note: So in the first and second chapters I just glanced on Lucei's appearance. So I'll describe a bit more here. If we assume that Rick is like 6'2, Lucei would be at about 5'3. Lucei is not typically skinny although she does have somewhat of a significant waist line (we're not talkin Jessica Rabbit though) – her people were genetically meant to look physically pleasing to most species in the galaxy (I'm using a largely Greek mythological reference for Sirenum (Sirens), but if we also take note of Greek statues, the women are not particularly 'thin' as 'the wanted look' is nowadays (i.e. thigh gaps and the like) she is also a military woman, so her body is conditioned and she is well muscled.

I think I already mentioned the red hair, pale skin, no freckles or moles. Eyes, probably something hazel (I'm not gonna go typically light color eyed heroin because all eye colors are freakin' amaze, dawg!).

She has scarring (tinted blue to purple like scarring from being struck by lightning – ahem, think of Siren tattoos from Borderlands – all these references to my fave things, yooo!) along her left side from about waist to mid-thigh, along the medial aspect of her left bicep that connects around to her left shoulder blade, right anterior calf, and now stretch marks and a cesarean section scar on her stomach.

Also I should note that I was severely influenced by Die Antwoord when writing this bit.

And the Spanish bits, I haven't had a Spanish class in… seven years. I'm rusty, although my grandmother's first language is Spanish I reeeeeally can't grasp it. I admit I used google and hope it translates okay.

We are now past the halfway point of this enormous story that is basically my headcanon for lots of things Rick and Morty! I really appreciate the views, and reviews, and follows! You're few! But I still appreciate you! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: How Can You Just Leave Me Standing? Alone in a World That's So Cold? Why Do We Scream at Each Other - This Is What It Sounds Like - When Doves Cry

 **WARNING: There is violence of several varieties in this chapter (semi-sexual violence-slightly dub-con and war violence).**

Lucei was a year and half into her residency at a neurologist clinic two and half hours from Muskegon. She'd mastered driving stick after stalling it once, immediately learning from her mistake and never making it again – she wondered how that could be so simple for her when learning a new skill… yet her other decisions left much to be desired concerning mistakes.

Rick was making promises he couldn't keep; some were easy to ignore – the ones without serious consequence - but the more persistent they became the less easy they were to ignore. But Lucei was too busy to address it, and when she did have time, he wasn't there. And not only that, she didn't want to _have to_ scold her husband when she finally caught up to him, she had other things she wanted to talk about too. Like this sexist idiot who was a fellow resident at the clinic. Since she couldn't kick his ass because miscalculated strength could end up killing him, and talking didn't work as the guy had blatantly ignored her statements about having a husband and daughter at home and she was absolutely not interested becoming his stay-at-home slave, she figured Rick could scare the shit outta the guy for her.

The times she did find Rick at home, he was either passed out in bed or on the couch, or tinkering in the garage.

"Babe!" he'd crowed when she peeked through the crack of the door into the garage, "C'mere!" he waved excitedly. She sighed, having just returned from work, she couldn't imagine how Rick was this excitable at that time of the night, likely he was on something (yet another thing she'd have to address, dependency was a shitty thing after all, no matter what planet drugs came from), "Li-Listen, baby. I need a favor. You worked in weapons production before, right? S-So how would you go about containing or redirecting the recoil from a plasma cannon or plasma launcher, I'm not sure what this even is? I-I-I can't figure this out. A-A-And while you help me with that, I've got this laser rifle that needs a slight modification. Ju-Just – I just need some help with this a-and then we can pay the electric bill o-o-on – in time."

Lucei sighed, "Rick, I wanted to talk to you abou-" she was cut off by the sound of the computer shrieking out a continuous alarm sound.

Rick dropped the rifle on the worktop and looked at the computer screen that was flashing an alert: _Alliance Under Fire – Location: Shemia Nebula, Delta 4 – Requesting Back Up!_

"Under fire? Under fire by who?" Lucei asked.

"Who else? The Galactic Federation," Rick growled, his excitable demeanor had flipped completely, "I've gotta go."

"Wait!" Lucei grabbed hold of his arm, "You can't just go. You haven't even thought of a plan. They asked for back up, that means they need someone coming in who knows what they're going to do and can help them out." Lucei grabbed the space phone that was beneath some clutter surrounding the computer, "Call Birdperson and Squanchy, I'm gonna call Lolo. We'll do this together."

For a few moments Rick felt his heart thud harder in his chest, a glimpse of a memory flashed in his mind, a few years back to the time when he and Lucei met, that bloodthirsty girl, "Y-You-You got it, babe."

Beth had woken up from all the commotion in the house, her hair in mussed pig tails, she leant her head on her mother's shoulder, blinking sleepily with her thumb in her mouth, Lucei's authoritative voice soothing her back to slumber.

With her daughter perched on her hip, Lucei used her free hand to point into the holographic three-dimensional map of Delta-4 in the Shemia Nebula. It was a relatively newly formed planet, so fugitives from the Federation, aka people of a freedom fighting Alliance Lucei was only just now hearing about Rick, Squanchy and Birdperson's affiliation with, were using it as a hideout.

For a brief moment, she thought of Worvren, they could have fled to Worvren, but… if the offer hadn't been extended, maybe Worvren was still under fire as well, or worse maybe Worvren had been destroyed. But she focused up quickly, "Are we all clear?" she glanced at each person surrounding the small kitchen table, while her company barked out a 'Yes, ma'am!' in unison, the others simply nodded. "Good, now we need a volunteer to stay with Beth."

The argument of Lucei going or not going was quickly resolved by her explaining it was her plan and she would see it through, lest someone else muck it up. Solir stayed with Beth, and the battle on Delta-4 was concluded in less than an hour.

Most of them were blood spattered and still catching their breath as the remaining Gromflomite soldiers retreated. Lolo traded the rifle in Lucei's hands for the plasma missile launcher on which Rick had asked for her modification. "Fuck," Lucei breathed, "Haven't held one of these in a few years. Can I get stable here?" Wockar and Gluk Dae approached from either side, hands on the heavy launcher, bearing some of the weight with Lucei, "Rick, you'll have to be my sights, honey."

Rick stood behind his wife, that acceleration of his pulse hadn't slowed after the fight, and seeing Lucei dirtied by battle, and asking for his help to deal the final blow, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to portal them home fast enough.

"You only need one person to be a messenger," Lucei muttered, "And that's why we leave no survivors. Give them a taste of their own medicine."

Rick adjusted the aim of the launcher until he was sure it was in the perfect spot, "Do it, baby." He mumbled, his warm breath puffed against the back of her neck, very nearly causing her to lose the aim he'd so carefully fixed. He took a few steps away, and then her finger extended for the trigger and pulled back. The missile shot straight, leaving a cloud of smoke at the launch point and a trail of smoke in its wake as it sailed toward the Federation ship. It reached its chosen target, the ship's engine, and the cataclysmic explosion that followed was something to applaud.

But there was no time to stare in awe for Rick. He hit the preset for home on the portal gun and shot a portal, tossing the gun to Birdperson and shouting for him to return it once everyone was safe. He approached Lucei as she passed the heavy launcher back to Lolo and grabbed beneath her thighs to haul her up. Her legs were just hooked around his hips when the portal closed behind them and they were back in their bedroom. Rick's mouth was a force to be reckoned with, capturing Lucei's mouth and nipping at her bottom lip as he walked them toward the bed until his legs hit the footboard of the bed frame. He tipped them over, her back bouncing against the mattress and scooting upward as Rick brought the rest of his legs onto the bed. Lucei could just barely breathe, could taste the faint flavor of smoke from the projectile stuck on her skin and now on Rick's skin. Rick seemed beyond words for the moment to offer an explanation as to what had caused this desperate display, mouth far too occupied anyway as he groaned into Lucei's mouth when her tongue twirled around his. "Fuck," he managed to breathe out before he attached his mouth to the skin of her neck, feverishly working at his belt buckle, button and fly of his trousers. Once he deemed he was exposed enough, he pulled at the clothes that were denying him access to all of Lucei. Her trousers were stuck around her ankles, and her panties weren't yet out of the way when Rick stuck three fingers in his mouth as a semblance of cleansing and properly slicking them, then slipped past the waist band to slide inside her.

"Goddamn it!" Lucei cried out, and Rick hurriedly silenced her with his own mouth, kissing her as he made quick work of a short prep. Her panties were shoved down her legs, she managed to shimmy her left ankle free from her trousers, but the same couldn't be said for her panties before Rick was barreling in.

"Ohh fuck," he groaned into her shoulder, and basked in the feeling of perfect, tight warmth for a few long moments before starting up a punishing pace. A constant commentary of ' **fuck** 's and ' **mmbaby** 's mixed with Lucei's muffled whimpers and the protesting squeak of the mattress with every deep, frantic thrust. The additional brief sound of fabric tearing was followed by Lucei's legs hooking around Rick's bony hips, and Rick groaned out yet another curse as the heels of her feet pushed him deeper. "Oh f-fuck, o-okay. C'mon, baby," Rick lifted his torso up from Lucei's, left hand readjusted by the side of Lucei's head to brace his weight, he never let up in pace as his eyes started to roll back into his skull but he tried to keep his stare on Lucei. "Baby, c'mon, you're almost there, I can feel it, baby, c'mon," he encouraged her, his other hand strayed from her hip to brush far too gently, torturously gentle against her clit in a conflicting rhythm and pressure to how he was savagely pounding into her, "Sér una buena niña y vienen por mí."

Lucei clamped both her hands over her mouth as she wailed through her orgasm, spasming and twitching just the way Rick liked it so he could reach his end too with a long groan and a few last frantic pounds before his hips stilled tightly pressed against Lucei. "FFFFuck," Rick mumbled, gently prying away her hands from her mouth so they could both lose themselves in a long, lazy kiss. Lips parted but still just enough to brush he whispered, "I love you, Lucy."

She let out a laugh, as she wiped her brow of the collected sweat she answered, "I know." They got out of the rest of their sweat dampened clothes and while Lucei put on clothes to sleep in, Rick stayed in the nude, already half asleep on the bed. "Hey, Rick," she said and was answered with an ascending hum. "There's this asshole at my clinic who won't back off, since I can't hand his ass to him, do you think you could shake him up, my scary jealous husband?"

"Mhm," he hummed into his pillow, "Th-That motherfucker won't know who the fuck he's messed with 'til it's too late."

"Thanks, honey."

"Mm."

Rick dropped off to sleep after that, laying on his stomach, face half buried into his pillow, muffling his soft snores. Lucei slipped out of their room to relieve Solir of duty.

.

The residency continued on without any problems. Distress signals from the Alliance came every so often, to which they would answer. Unfortunately, with the last battle Wockar was severally injured, losing half of her left leg. Rick easily constructed a quality prosthetic for her, but it would be a long while before she was used to it enough that she didn't feel like a liability on the battlefront. Volunteers were no longer needed as she was designated babysitter of Beth when the call for aid sounded. It had been several months since that battle, and what honestly felt like the same amount of time since Lucei had seen Rick at home.

She'd finally caught him again, after staying at a hotel for three days since she was on call at the clinic, she couldn't afford the long drives if she was called in. She'd asked Lolo to keep her posted on Beth, and to report any appearances from Rick. She made it home, exhausted and craving some time with her daughter, but found Rick with Beth at the coffee table, a completed 100 piece puzzle off to the side, and a cartoonish image of a human body in front of them with Beth pointing out and naming body parts. Any hopes of confronting Rick were dashed at that sight, and further when Rick turned to see her, a grin spreading across his face as he stood up from the floor. Lucei noted the familiar leather choker and correctly assumed there was a gig tonight, but not only that, apparently.

"Guess who's been re-request- no, no, definitely **demanded** at the show tonight…?" Rick sing-songed as he slid his hands around Lucei's hips, beneath her own lab coat. "The Space Queen Drummer Dream. The v-voice of Prog Vizadra who **promised** an eventual comeback."

Lucei sighed, she really was extremely exhausted, and she really wanted to just spend the rest of the night with Beth… but… the thrill of a show… "You up-up for – are you game to blow some minds, babe?" Rick's hands grabbed at her ass, pre-show excitement already taking hold of him, "I already asked Lolo a-and she said – she-she's cool with watching Beth one more night."

"Okay…" Lucei agreed, and thought for a moment before adding, "But why don't we just bring her to the show?" looking toward their daughter who was muttering to herself, blonde pig tails twitching this way and that as she talked.

"Think she'll be okay?" Rick wondered as he followed Lucei's gaze.

She smiled knowingly, "I think she'll love it."

.

True to Lucei's thought, Beth loved the show. With some heavy duty ear muffs protecting her hearing, she especially loved to see her mother behind a drum set. When Lucei's exhaustion finally caught up to her she switched out with Squanchy – reclaiming her title as 'Side Stage Babe' but with a tiny sidekick this time around. Rick couldn't help himself, rushing off stage while still playing to quickly visit his daughter. During such a visit, with Lucei holding Beth and Lolo standing beside them – Lucei had taken the pink bows from Beth's mussed pigtails that were smashed down by the ear muffs - Beth had the bows in her hands, idly pinching the clips as her dark brown eyes took in the show, and when Rick strolled over, an ingenious idea popped into her young brain. When Rick leaned down to drop a kiss on her nose, and she let him, but then clipped a pink bow into his wild hair. He laughed and just walked back out onto center stage with his new accessory.

And for a while – at least for the few shows she took Beth to after the first one – Lucei thought this was it, they were okay now. This was their perfect life again, where Rick wasn't gone for odd amounts of time without explanation, after work they all came together for shows – they were happy.

Until.

An undercover Galactic Federation soldier had infiltrated the show and led a full blown attack on all the Resistance-pro attendees and the band. The first thing Rick did upon sight of the attack beginning within the crowd was sprint off stage, he hooked his arm around Lucei's waist and shuffled through the pockets of his lab coat that she wore. He plucked the portal gun out and shot the green gateway against a nearby wall. He tried to usher Lucei, Lolo and Beth through, but Lucei wouldn't have it. She ordered Lolo to keep their daughter safe and they would be back soon. Beth didn't understand, the sounds of gun fire and screams, the serious looks on her parents' faces and the fact that they weren't following after her and Lolo; her dark brown eyes filled up with tears, bottom lip pulling out in a pout, but the image was gone before she could ask what was happening. The portal closed and Lucei looked to her husband, shaking her head as she dove a hand into his coat once again to find a well concealed laser pistol.

She rushed into the fray, directed the peaceful resisters to safety while she shot at the undercover and fully uniformed Federation agents. Rick eventually was at her back, covering her when she needed it. "Don't you ever try and shove me through a portal again," she barked gruffly, waiting for her weapon to recharge.

"I'm not one of your goddamn s-soldiers, Lucy," Rick growled back, "D-Don't fucking g-give me orders!"

Lucei shook her head, a humorless laugh leaving her throat as she plucked the flash bang grenade that had dropped near them and chucked it back to the Feds with a second to spare, but the "Fuck you!" was directed at Rick as she threw it.

"Fuck _you_! I-I-I'm just trying to keep you safe! What the hell is your excuse!?"

She held the pistol firmly in her grip, hating the recharge delay, she would have to upgrade the hell out of it once they were home, "I'm making sure _you're_ not dead, and that you _actually_ come _**home**_!"

"Wh-What the fuck is that supposed to – wh-what are y-you implying?!"

Lucei's gun made the satisfying recharge complete indication, and she glared up at her husband as she stood up once more from behind their cover of a few amps, "We'll talk about it later, just tell me when we're clear!"

.

Once the impromptu battle ceased with the Federation having fled, the concert hall was left quiet, and what remained among the wreckage were those lost in the crossfire – Fed officers and freedom fighters alike. People were sobbing over those they had lost, some bodies were left alone with none to mourn over them, Lucei couldn't stand the sight of it.

She made her rounds, giving her apologies and assuring the sorrowful that their loved ones would be avenged. Rick was waiting impatiently with the portal gun, foot tapping and arms crossed then uncrossed as he sipped from his flask while staring at a fresh wound on his right bicep. Lucei didn't say anything as she approached him, and neither did he as he shot a portal against the same wall from earlier and gestured for her to step through first…

A universal message was sent out that said after a premeditated attack was staged by the Galactic Federation at an undisclosed concert hall resulting in numerous casualties The Flesh Curtains would be on hiatus until further notice…

After stepping through to portal and back onto the soft carpet of their home, Lucei took their guns without a word and headed into the garage; distantly she could hear the sound of Rick flopping his arms against his side in what was likely a 'what, seriously?' gesture before he followed a minute later.

He closed the door into the garage after him and leant against it, taking a long pull from his flask until it was dry and then tossed the empty container onto his computer. He crossed his arms again, the wound on his arm brought to his attention once more as he asked, "So a-are you go-EUGH-onna explain what the fuck that was about?"

Lucei had already occupied herself with taking apart the pistols to upgrade them, but the attitude in Rick's voice destroyed any hopes of this being a civilized conversation. She slammed the screwdriver in her hand down onto the work top, hazel eyes pinning Rick into place against that door when he finally looked up and met her gaze, "Where the hell have you been, Rick?"

He seemed confused, eyes glancing around in hopes of any animate object helping him out before he mumbled, "Uhh, what?"

"Beth has been asking for you," Lucei lifted her hands from the tabletop to mimic the pose Rick had on, arms crossed against her chest, hip leant against the workbench, "Is that the answer you'll give her too?"

"Jesus, Lucy, w-what the hell do you want from me anyway? Beth is fine. Sh-She's barely walking; she doesn't know if I'm here or gone."

Lucei nearly choked on her saliva, clenching her fists harder so as not to lash out at her husband, "She's three years old, Rick! You're her **father**!" Her hands couldn't be contained, but she made sure to stay where she was so as not to actually harm him and just let her hands gesticulate wildly in the open air around her, "Don't you care _at all_ about your own daughter?! That she's been asking where you are?! And _I_ don't know what the **fuck** to tell her because I don't know _where_ you've gone or _when_ you'll be back, _**if**_ you come back!"

Rick's hands flew up to his face, both palms pressed to his eyes, "Fuck, see, th-th-this is why I'm not here. I-I-It's always something I've done wrong."

Lucei couldn't help an astounded humorless laugh, "What the _**fuck**_ are you talking about?! If you were actually fucking **here**?! If you were actually fucking **here** , doing shit wrong or right, it would be better than not being here at fucking all!"

He uncovered his eyes but couldn't maintain eye contact with her, "Lucy! I'm doing my best here, okay?! I-I wasn't prepared for th…this!" His eyes were distracted again by the wound on his arm. Lucei followed his gaze, but a laser burn that minor wasn't anything to worry about, in fact, the wounds she was inflicting into her own palms were far more concerning, her nails had drawn blood after having clutched her fists so tightly.

"And you think I was?!" she practically roared, and her left foot inched forward, but she refrained from actually stepping towards him, she glanced down at her hands and turned her palms upwards. She winced at the sight of the matching wavy lines cut into her skin. She sighed and took a stab to change the subject, "Ugh, whatever. Just… We need to move closer to my clinic."

"Uh, no can-can do, the coordinates preset for home are preset for here."

"Fine," she snapped, "Then we'll move somewhere else in Muskegon and you can just tweak the coordinates. How 'bout that? Less work for you, because I _know_ I can't ask too much of you," the biting sarcasm stung Rick, but not nearly as bad as her next mild intimidation, "Or Beth and I could leave without you, we hardly see you around here as it is."

"…F-F-ine," Rick grumped, giving in, "I'll change it, you do all the house hun-hunting shit and I'll change the preset."

"Deal," Lucei agreed and turned back to the partially taken apart pistols on the work bench, but winced when the cuts in her palms twinged with pain. "Shit," she muttered under her breath.

"H-Hey, uh, Luc- babe."

"What, Rick."

"If you help me with mine, I-I'll help you with yours."

She glanced to him, seeing his hand hovering over his wound, then saw his eyebrow bounce once as his eyes caught sight of the divots in her palms.

She rolled her eyes and followed him out of the garage, intent on just helping him and returning to her project in the garage. But of course she wouldn't return to her project. Patching up Rick went fine, until he asked her to jab her thumb into his arm and then slap him until the cuts in her hands began to bleed again. What she had hoped would be a quiet night following a shitty battle/horrible event ended up as what she would later describe as their first instance of hatefucking…

More often than not when in each other's company they were hatefucking rather than just fucking. But more often than not they weren't in each other's company. When they did meet up it usually involved the Alliance asking for aid or distress signals in need of answering or schemes against the Federation that needed doing. If they **weren't** fighting afterward, they were in separate rooms, usually one of them claiming Beth for themselves while the other was left in solitude. If they **were** fighting afterwards, their libido was fueled by this learned hate-lust and they would lock themselves away in the bedroom until one or both of them passed out, covered in bite marks, bruises, spots of blood, burns…

(The bedside house phone rang at 3 in the morning, Lucei and Rick were all naked limbs slammed together beneath the bed sheets. Only hours earlier they had spent the evening with Lucei's company to celebrate Rick's 32nd birthday.  
Beth had prepared the cake, with a lot of Wockar's help, and presented it to her father with a face beaming with pride. The newest hits of '84 played on the radio throughout the house all night until Beth fell asleep, the company dispersed, leaving Lucei and Rick to clean up alone. Rick had finally cut his hair into something less of a grungy rock star look but belatedly wondered if it made him look older, especially since now he was in his thirties. Lucei had snorted and called him a self-conscious old man. The kitchen was left half cleaned as Rick took that as a stab to his ever-youthful stamina, claiming he was still 27 and could get Lucei off at least five times before letting himself come, with his hands tied behind his back.  
Now at 3 am, just an hour earlier their romp in the sheets had ended with Lucei sobbing actual tears and blacking out after her sixth orgasm and Rick coming twice within the span of four hours. The phone was on its second ring when Rick groaned and flopped his arm toward the annoying thing, cursing when his knuckles rapped hard on the nightstand. He managed to grab the thing from its cradle and basically just cleared his throat into the phone as means of greeting. "Is Dr. Sanchez available?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Ohh, fuuck," Rick's sleep roughened voice groaned, "Th-That's – That is pretty sexy." He turned toward Lucei in the dark, the twisty cord following his motion, "Babe-" he coughed, "Baby, phone."

Lucei whined and grabbed at the object without opening her eyes. Rick turned onto his back, content with drawing circles on Lucei's shoulder half asleep.

"This is Dr. Sanchez," she mumbled into the phone, adjusting her head to rest on Rick's chest.

"Mm," Rick hummed, "So hot."

He didn't hear the rest of the conversation aside from Lucei's hums of understanding and medically driven questions his sleepy brain couldn't make any sense of at the moment. "Okay, I'll be there within the next two hours."

She leaned over Rick to hang up the phone and then whipped off the tangled covers on their bodies. Rick groaned at the brief moment of cold before the sheet was replaced, along with the comforter, "Later, old man." She pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Neither Lucei nor Beth would see Rick again for an entire month.)

What never wavered was their love for Beth. They kept up appearances in front of their daughter, knowing how impressionable a young mind - especially one as unique as Beth's - was, she didn't need to believe that this was normal behavior between mothers and fathers, she didn't need to overthink that somehow her mother and father were only together for her, that them remaining unhappy together was her fault. They wouldn't taint Beth's mind that way, although with the way Rick was absent more and more, it was hard for Lucei to say nice things about her husband… Especially when it essentially meant she had to defend Rick's selfish actions so Beth's heart wouldn't be broken…

They had moved into a bigger house, into a nicer neighborhood, just before Beth was to start kindergarten. She'd interacted with all sorts of alien children already, she communicated and played well with other kids, so Lucei wasn't worried; but she couldn't keep her heart from squeezing painfully in her chest when she saw her little girl happily trot off toward her classroom. Beth glanced back to Lucei, a bright grin on her face as she gave her mother one last wave before stepping through the door.

Rick hadn't wanted Beth to go to school, provoking yet another fight between him and Lucei, which resulted in Lucei explaining that Beth needed this. She couldn't stay home forever, Lolo couldn't be her only friend and teacher, and Rick really had no say in this when he was hardly around anyway. Which in turn resulted in Rick leaving for a week and coming back smelling distinctly like Taulavgaian hookers.

("Mommy."

"Sweetie."

"Can I have a drumset?"

"A drumset, hmm?"

"Yeah. There's a girl in my class, her name's Resa, she plays the viola, and this boy in my class, Thomas, he plays drums, and I said you played drums, and he said girls can't play drums as good as boys, so I must destroy him."

"…With the power of music, correct?"

"Right! Will you teach me to play? I remember when you played I liked it a lot!"

"A lot?"

"A lot a lot a lot! So much, Mommy!"

"Okay, sweetie, you win. I'll get you a drum set really soon, you just gotta promise not to get bored with it."

"No way! I won't get bored!"

"That makes two of us in this family..."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, honey. Nothing… We'll show up that Thomas boy, won't we?"

"Yes! Ooooh! Can I have a horsey too!?"

"Little much, sweetie. You're pushin' it.")

It was unhealthy. Their relationship. And it wouldn't last. But Lucei was in a far more difficult spot than Rick, she didn't have the means of leaving Earth as she pleased, she didn't and couldn't find physically compatible companionship in any other humans like she did with Rick, she was trapped in this dysfunctional marriage until she snapped and either stole Rick's portal gun or made one of her own.

The rare times they came together was in the name of freedom against the Galactic Federation. And even then they could just barely agree with each other, spitting insults at each other until they made it home to fall into bed, hoping the other wouldn't wake up as they left the next morning.

Regardless of their failing marriage, Beth thrived in school. She maintained top grades, made lots of friends, and made her mother proud. Beth was so perfect, and Lucei had been so afraid that she would raise her wrong somehow or that she wasn't fit to be a mother, but Beth proved her wrong.

("Mommy…"

"Hm, what is it, Beth?"

"I… I'm supposed to give you this note. I told them you were in surgery all day and Dad is on a business trip. They didn't want to call Auntie Lolo to get me so… this note."

"A note, huh?" Lucei finally turned from the paperwork in front of her to Beth who looked gloomy and a bit red in the face from crying, "Woah! What happened, baby?! Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay. I just… Just read this," she rubbed at her nose with her free hand while the other still extended the enveloped note to Lucei.

She took it and skimmed past the fake pleasantries and read to 'Your daughter got in a fight today with a male student' before stopping. She folded it and looked to Beth, "A fight? What happened? I wanna hear your side."

"A boy pulled on my hair and called me stupid. I told him to leave me alone and he pulled my hair again and he was gonna spit on me… So… So I grabbed him by his hair and yanked him to the ground. He started crying so I got taken to the principal's office… And he tried to call you and Dad, then wrote this note and told me to give it to you."

"And did the principal say anything to the boy?"

"No. He said that's how boys act when they like a girl."

Lucei crushed the paper in her hand, "Are you kidding me, sweetie? He said that to your face? Did he think it was supposed to make you feel better?"

Before Beth could answer there was the sound of a crash from the garage followed by colorful Spanish curses and then Rick grumbling about fixing the preset coords. The first sight he caught was of Beth's solemn face, and he immediately rushed to her, swooping her up into his arms [thinking it was something he had done].

"Rick, listen to what Beth has to say," Lucei said, leaving Beth room to explain the story to Rick while she read the rest of the note from the principal. Eyes taking in every word until the end where the so-called person in charge of education signed his name that Lucei could hardly give a shit about. "What the ffffuck!" she couldn't contain the curse though she had tried to suppress it, just Rick wailed out, "Are you shitting me?!"

In the note there was an ominous cautioning of suspension, but since this was Beth's first offence he wouldn't resort to it this time. Beth would have been suspended from school, but the boy didn't even get a scolding. "What the fuck sort of planet do we live on?!" she cried out.

"Gimme the name of that boy, Beth," Rick muttered seriously.

"Yeah, tell us his name too," Lucei agreed as she grabbed a pen and circled the principal's name in the note before folding it up again, "We're gonna talk to someone with some damn sense. This is total shit. You hear me, Beth? You didn't do anything wrong. This is total. Shit."

"Listen to your mother, sweetie. Total shi-shit.")

By the time Beth finished elementary school Lucei was finished with her residency and applying for the office she worked at currently, and several other offices just in case. Her steady hands were the most wanted in Michigan – and she would have gladly worked everywhere she was needed, but ended up choosing a clinic that was a little less than two hours from Muskegon…

It was following a 6th grade parent-teacher conference that triggered their current fight – after Rick had promised to be there with Lucei, he was absent yet again. Beth's math teacher had the gall to not only put out the accusation that Beth wasn't the one doing her homework but also that her father was doing it for her, since there was no way a girl let alone one Beth's age could be so good at math. Lucei had to refrain from throttling the stupid male earthling's neck and tossing him out the window; instead she explained that she was a neurologist and Beth's father was a scientist in his own merit, and _if_ Beth ever needed help with her homework, it was Lucei herself helping her, not her father. Had Rick been there she wouldn't have had to deal with the sexist bullshit that followed every woman everywhere on Earth on her own. Had Rick been there she wouldn't have been accused of being an unfit parent just because she looked young and was without her husband.

Lucei had taken to drinking wine after particularly long days at work, she would resort to Earth wine if Rick's alien liquor and wine stores ran dry. She was ¾ of the way through her second bottle of Sherry as their fight took a sudden, unexpected turn down memory lane.

"You never would have escaped that prisoner transport ship without me!"

"Like fffuck I wouldn't hav-have!" Rick stammered as he shouted back, he'd rifled through his part of the garage to find an invention that basically sound proofed a room when activated, so Beth wouldn't endure their yelling, although she was thoroughly occupied with her Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 album as of late. " _ **You**_ would be rotting away i-i-in maximum security right now if it- if it weren't for goddamn **me**!"

"I had faith in my army, in my people!" Lucei barked back, her wine sloshing onto the floor, "I knew they would come and retrieve us eventually, be it that day, or days, weeks, months, years from then! I _trusted_ them!" Rage caused a tremor in her hands, and the glass slipped from her fingers as she gestured, making it look far more aggressive than it was, but Rick didn't even flinch, he just sighed as she continued on, "That's the difference between us, Rick! You don't trust anyone! You don't even trust me! And I'm your goddamn wife!"

"I don't need this shit from you, a-a-alright? I'll be back once you-you-you – once you've chilled the fuck out." His portal gun seemed to be on him at all times, convenient for a hasty escape.

The kitchen was quiet then, aside from Lucei's heavy breathing as she held back tears. She stepped over the shattered pieces of glass and got herself a new one – but then thought better of it, she just took the bottle of Sherry and tipped the remaining contents into her mouth. Gasping for breath with something like a sob, she tossed the bottle into the trash and went about cleaning up the glass and wine from the countertop and floor. It was only after she opened up a third bottle that she noticed Beth at the open archway of the kitchen, she hadn't heard her because of the soundproofing device – apparently it worked as a physical barrier as well. Lucei plucked it off the table and disabled it, allowing Beth access.

"Are you okay, Mom?"

"Absolutely, sweetie. I'm fine," she answered with a smile taking a seat at the kitchen table, "Here's an idea though, Beth, honey. Instead of becoming a neurologist like Mommy. Maybe become a heart surgeon, huh? So then you can fix Mommy's broken heart." Lucei nodded off shortly after that. This was something that happened few times before, but Beth was already used to helping her father to the bedroom after passing out on less than comfortable surfaces. So with Beth's help Lucei staggered to her room and fell asleep… sleeping straight through the sound of an alert alarm from Rick's computer.

.

"Twelve years! Twelve fucking years!" Lucei bellowed, "It took twelve years for their transmissions to reach Earth?! God! This planet is the fucking worst!"

"Lucei, calm down," Lolo tried to placate.

The morning after drinking herself to sleep, she'd woken to the insistent beeps of a different alerting noise than she was used to (Alliance stuff). With her sleep muddled/partially hungover mind, it took her several long seconds before she finally understood. Signal MuRhoTauUpsilon – confirmation code 19211313518. It had finally reached them! It took twelve years but it finally reached them!

The attached message read: _Worvren still under Federation fire. Requesting aid until further instruction from Lieutenant Colonel G'Zuvren._

"What do we do," Lucei was pacing before her company, "That message is twelve years old, we could- we should go back."

"With what means, Commander?" P'palwin asked, Solir following up with, "It's too risky to portal there, and it would be an ages long journey by ship, not to mention that Earth's space travel technology isn't advanced enough to withstand that sort of journey."

"We'll portal," Lucei rationalized, "We'll portal somewhere nearby Worvren and then-" Lucei was cut off by Gluk Dae.

"Commander, with all due respect, you're excited. Don't you think we should send some scouts first before we dive in headfirst? After all, they were requesting aid and we haven't got the adequate weaponry or plans to give proper aid."

She nodded along, "Right… You're completely right, we'll-" but just then a green vortex opened up in the center of the kitchen, taking off the leg of a chair as it materialized and Rick stumbled out.

"Ho-Holy shit! Lucy! Get this!" the portal shut behind him as he braced himself on the kitchen table.

"Not now, Rick-"

"Ye-EEUGH-s, now! I was talking with some Alliance buddies of mine, a-and they just got – they just received a distress signal from Worvren!" Rick burped a few times more, "Planetary cloaking and defen-defense shields are down, they're under heavy fire and asking for any aid they can get! Th-EUGH- Th-The Alliance is answering the call!"

"What?!"

From there it was a group effort to calm Lucei down, to convince her to let others answer the call for Worvren's aid and relay a message of the planet's situation before letting her rush home guns blazing. She was assured that the message wouldn't take 12 years this time, they would have an actual messenger travel to Earth to give the report. Luckily she had work and Beth starting high school soon to occupy her thoughts while she waited for the message. She had a lot of surgeries booked for the next couple of weeks with minimal clinic time. She was doing important things, she was helping people, she was raising her daughter, but her frustration with her husband still lingered, especially when he left for battles and revolts against the Federation as he pleased but she wasn't allowed to return to her home world that was in critical condition… A few times she'd thought about telling Beth about Worvren - the girl was aware of what her father did, traveling through the galaxy by means of his portal gun was why he was hardly ever home. But Beth didn't know that Lucei wasn't human, didn't know that half of her own genetics weren't of Earth. Lucei wasn't sure if it was better that way or not… One day Beth would know… but not right then…

Reports came every three months over the following year after learning of Worvren's call for aid. The Federation still fought hard to conquer the planet, but Worvren's defense was resilient. Lucei still hadn't (rather, still wasn't given the okay) taken her company back home to join in the fight, but word had spread back to Worvren that the new Queen lived and she would soon return. Hope renewed, Worvren fought harder with this knowledge. But Lucei couldn't manage an uplifting message to send to her people when her husband reeked of Tainos booze and hadn't been home in a month. She opted for a mix of Sherry and river water from Cordia XX near the Dxa Nebula as she waited for Rick to return. Any other time she would have just gone to sleep, but this time was different. As soon as the air buzzed with the familiar electric sensation before a portal materialized, she felt a sneer take over her mouth as she took a large sip from her glass.

"That's another promise broken," Lucei's voice slurred in the darkness once the portal closed.

"What?" Rick spun on his heel, legs wobbly as he tried to locate the source of her voice.

"Beth had a performance today, it was her first performance with the band at the homecoming game, Rick. You said you would be there to see her play."

Rick sucked in a breath as if holding back a large hiccup and a gasping sound of realization, "Oh… Oh fu-uck."

"Yeah," Lucei tipped the last drops of her drink into her mouth, standing up she took the glass to the sink as she muttered, "I don't know how the fuck that poor girl still has love in her heart for you."

"W-Woah, I'm her father."

Lucei's hands gripped the counter top tightly before she swiftly turned to face Rick, "Just because you provide half of her genes doesn't automatically entitle you to her love," she hissed out since it was 2 in the morning and Beth had been asleep for several hours now, she didn't need to wakened by something as unpleasant as her heavily intoxicated parents fighting in the kitchen… again. "You have let her down more times than she chooses to remember. And I have covered for you more times than I've wanted to because I can't bear to see her heart broken. You unreliable, sorry excuse for a father…" When Rick didn't answer her for an entire minute she scoffed out a sigh, leaning back against the kitchen counter, "You smell disgusting. Take a shower."

There was another long silent pause before Rick shuffled away, feet clumsily climbing up the stairs, and then the sound of the shower starting. Lucei let the built up tears fall then, let them all cascade down her cheeks and down her chin, raining little spots onto her shirt until they stopped. She wiped her face dry and went upstairs, settled herself into bed, and pretended to already be asleep when Rick emerged from the bathroom and fit himself comfortably behind her, hooking his arm around her waist and his nose buried against the back of her neck…

The following morning Lucei was surprised to find Rick still in bed and still latched onto her. When she tried to slip out of his grasp, his hold doubled and pulled her closer, and he began peppering kisses to the back of her neck, nosing the collar of her shirt away from her shoulder to bite and kiss and bring goosebumps to her flesh which led to a slow, lazy morning fuck.

"I leave so you won't have to," Rick mumbled once they had caught their breath. Lucei turned around to face him, a curiousness in her eyes. "If I go to the fights, if I can help win it before you need to get involved, you won't leave."

"You think I'm going to leave you?"

"W-Worvren wouldn't want m-me – wouldn't accept a-a-a guy as messed up as me as their king."

"King consort," Lucei corrected with a small grin, "And I wouldn't force you to be king consort, I wouldn't force you to come back to Worvren with me, it's up to you whether you'd want to come with me… though… you'd always be welcome, y'know."

Rick nodded, "But- but you'd take Beth, would-wouldn't you?"

"She's my heir," Lucei nodded, then glanced down, a smile causing her to bite her lip, "She'll do so well once I'm gone."

Rick's fingers tipped Lucei's chin up, bringing her glance back to him, "O-Or? Don't be gone. Ever?"

She snorted, "I'll do my best."

"Could you also do your best to not be pissed- pissed off at me when I don't come home now?"

She nodded and pressed a kiss to his nose, "For the record, you're doing a fine job of king consort right now – fighting battles for Worvren and fucking the Queen Protector."

"I aim to please, baby."

The ceasefire was short lived when almost two weeks later Rick stumbled home through a portal smelling like Hibernia weed, with eyes tinted nearly a florescent pink, mumbling apologies about being late but the harvest had been a lot more difficult this time than last month… before realizing he was at home, he'd put in the wrong coords and Lucei was sitting among an enormous stash of organic time sensitive space hallucinogenics spread out on the kitchen table. Her eyes were angry and shining with tears, fists clenched with her arms crossed over her chest, foot tapping on the floor. He could see a drop of blood slip from her closed fist and onto the tiled floor.

"Luc… Oh fuck, Lucy, listen-"

"What the hell is this?" Lucei muttered out through clenched teeth, "My people. Are under attack. They've been under attack for the past 14 years! We've only known about it for the past year! And you _said_ you were  aiding the fight? But all you've really been doing is getting high!?"

"It's not what it looks like, I-I-I'm _just_ selling it."

Lucei stood up so abruptly the chair beneath her tilted back and crashed to the floor, causing Rick to wince not only from the clatter but the harsh words that flowed from his wife's mouth, "Like fuck you're not sampling your own merchandise?! And as if **just selling** it makes it any better!"

"Mayb-maybe sampling a little," he admitted, though the florescent pink whites of his eyes side effect didn't help his case.

"People! Are! Dying!" she practically screamed as she advanced on him with each word, **"** You sick, stupid, son of a bitch, you've been lying to me! You lied directly to my face!"

Rick's feet staggered backward as she approached him, his back was flat on the wall when she reached him and his hands automatically raised up in front of him in a mollifying gesture, "Lucy, take it easy, just listen. This shit will totally calm you down."

"I don't wanna be calm! I **can't** be calm!" She was toe to toe with him now, visibly shaking with her anger towards him, towards the Federation, towards Earth, towards everything that had ever wronged her in her life.

Rick warily placed his hands on her shoulders as he gently urged, "Lucy, relax! A-A-And don't hit me!"

"I'm not gonna hit you, I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

"Lucy!"

She threw a right hook and caught Rick's cheek, he groaned with the hit as his head twisted sharply to the side, but he kept his wits about him to catch Lucei's wrists before she struck him again. She practically roared with her anger, tears were spilling from her eyes as she struggled against his hold. She thrummed with the adrenaline of her fury but it combated with an overwhelming feeling of grief and despair, she sobbed as she tried lashing out at Rick, but weakness took over her body between bursts of powerful rage. "Lucy, Lucy," he called her name over and over, grunting as he pushed back her attempts at hitting or shoving him. He took both of her wrists in his left hand, while the other pressed to the small of her back, he urged them close together, pinning her trapped hands between them as he pushed off the kitchen wall and guided them toward the living room couch.

"You bastard! You stupid- bastard, son of a bitch, asshole!" she sobbed, having given up the fight and let herself be led to the couch, compliantly sitting when her calves hit the cushions. She cried without words, tears still streaming down her face as she let Rick ease her back down onto the cushions until he was hovering over her, left cheek already swollen with a bit of blood collected at the corner of his mouth.

Without any warning he smashed his mouth to hers, she struggled against it, turning her face away only for Rick to turn her face back. She shoved with her clenched captured fists but she was weakened by her anguish. The kisses were unpleasantly wet with saliva, tears, and blood. Rick maneuvered his way between her thighs, spreading them further apart as he settled himself comfortably. "I'm sorry, baby," he murmured against her skin, trailing his lips to leave little bloody prints against the skin of her chin and down her neck.

"No you're not," she sniffled, "But you will be."

Rick leant up, dark, bloodshot and slowly fading pink florescent eyes meeting his wife's red, teary hazel eyes. He took the hand that still contained her wrists and brought them up between them, taking a wrist in each hand, he guided her fists - gradually opening as she realized what his intent was – towards his throat.

With a new burst of desirous fueled adrenaline, she surged forward, catching him off balance and using it to her advantage to get him flat on his back and straddling his thin hips. She could feel his interest prodding intently through his trousers and felt sickened, sickened even more to find _herself_ interested and grinding down against him as she closed her hands around as much of his throat as she could. She let out her own moan in reply to Rick's choked off whimper as she continued to apply pressure; Rick's hands scrambled for the button and zip of her jeans as he sucked in short hisses of breath.

A hatefuck wouldn't solve a damn thing, but somehow it always ended up this way…

"OW!" Rick barked out.

Lucei was quick to apologize, slowing her pace, "Sorry! I'm sorry!"

"No, it's okay," Rick assured her, his hands urging her back to her former rhythm. There was a smirk on his newly bloodied mouth; lip busted, cheek bruised, he growled out, "Do it again." …

Just as soon as the sweat began to cool on their skin, as they were still catching their breaths, there was distance between them again. On opposite ends of the couch, Lucei had scrambled back into her clothes, buttons and zips still undone as she leant her elbows on her knees and held her head in her hands. Rick took his time redressing, bypassing his underwear completely as he yanked his trousers up his legs.

"I hate you." It was soft, nearly would have gone unheard if fabric was shuffling around.

Rick glanced to his wife, taking in the state she was in both physically and mentally, knowing it was all his fault, that he'd done this to her. Even after all the fights they'd had, all the insults thrown back and forth, days, weeks, and months spent apart… he knew that soft confession wasn't true. "No, you don't."

Lucei shook her head, an unconscious movement of agreement, "I wish I could hate you."

Rick smiled sadly, briefly, "I know," he sighed as he stretched his arms across the back of the couch.

"After all that we've been through…" she scoffed, her fingers sliding through her long red hair. She sat up and her hands dropped down to slap onto her thighs, "I would still die for you, isn't that fucked up?" She didn't look at him, eyes set on the mantel piece that was cluttered with photographs, framed and unframed, of them, the family they had created over the past… 14 years.

Rick followed her gaze and puffed out another long sigh as he reached for an end of her hair, twirling it between his fingers tips, "Then I'm pretty fucked up too."

.

"God damn it!" Following that booming curse Lucei called the receptionist at her clinic and told her to reschedule the appointments for this week, possibly the entire month, and to ask Dr. Misra was available to cover her surgeries – as she had a family emergency that needed immediate attention.

For all that Lucei knew of portal technology she was definitely no Rick Sanchez, but she was doing her damned best in creating a one-time-use portal to take her and her company to Worvren. Rick had scrawled a note for her following their recent fight, explaining that he was going to take a leader position with the Alliance along with Birdperson, Squanchy, and acting commander-in-chief of Worvren, Diviak Yuhova Obheto in a charge against the Gromflomites. Lucei knew Obheto was a Major, had been a close friend of her parents, that was 12 years ago, though apparently the fight remained the same.

"That stupid son of a bitch is gonna get himself killed," Lucei grumbled under breath as she welded pieces of metal to build an arch, twisted wires together, and used any and all proper organic materials she thought would be beneficial for this slapdash creation.

"Lucei."

"He'll be lucky if he _does_ get himself killed before I get to him."

"Lucei!"

"What?"

"Mom?" Lucei turned quickly to the sound of Beth's voice, she stood at the garage doorway with Lolo behind her. "Are you okay, Mom?" Beth rubbed awkwardly at her forearm, "D'you… D'you need any help before- before I go?"

"Beth, sweetie," Lucei rushed to her daughter and hugged her close. Beth was a couple inches taller than her now and Lucei wanted to cry her face off at that simple realization but refrained. She petted Beth's still blonde hair (for a while she thought it might turn red, that maybe it would darken to red after she turned one like Lucei's had, but no, the blonde hair remained, so Beth reminded Lucei of her own mother every time she looked at her) then took her shoulders in hand, putting her at arm's length and staring into her eyes, "Listen. I've got to go get your jackass father, it shouldn't be long, but I swear I will come back to you, okay, sweetie? Your aunts Walker and Sally will keep you company while we go to get your dad, alright?"

"Okay," Beth agreed with a nod, "Is Dad in trouble?"

"Ohhh, he's gonna be, sweetie. I'm gonna kick his ass so badly he won't be able to get in trouble ever again."

"Good," Beth laughed, "Well, I just wanted to see if you were okay before I headed to school."

"Of course, honey, thank you," Lucei smiled, "So like I said, shouldn't be long, I love you," Lucei kissed Beth's forehead and started back to the half made portal archway, "Oh! And good luck on that chemistry test."

"Thanks, love you too! Bye, Mom!"

Walker took Beth to school, and in little under an hour Lucei finished the portal with P'palwin's help. "Connect those wires and we should be functional," he instructed. Lucei did so and the archway filled with familiar green swirling void.

"Alright," Lucei's authoritative voice took over, "We haven't got much in the way of weaponry and ammo, we'll gear up with what we have and go."

"Commander, we brought these from home, as well," Gluk Dae brought into view their Worvren issue armor they hadn't adorned in a long while, not even for the small bouts with the Alliance against the Federation, "Hopefully they still fit."

Armor on, weapons holstered with little ammunition to spare, Lucei typed in the coordinates to Worvren, to home, something she thought she would never be able to type again. She took a shaky breath and closed her eyes as she stepped through the portal first.

When she opened her eyes it was like she'd stepped back in time, amidst war again, she felt her blood boil, heart pound an aggressive pace, the unwavering urge to protect her home consumed her anew… "There really is no place like home…"

.

When Rick and Lucei met up again, it seemed like he was talking to an entirely different person than the one he'd married 13 years ago. Or perhaps it was the situation at hand that made it seem like she was a different person, and the fact that they were on her home planet that was still currently under attack by the Galactic Federation.

He'd left home two days earlier with the intent of actually fighting the good fight for his wife's home planet and everything it stood for in the universe – Hope. He had meant it when he said he didn't want her to leave him. Although Rick wasn't the most faithful and definitely couldn't openly admit his feelings (unless still basking in the throes of bliss, then he couldn't claim responsibility for what he sputtered out), Lucei was _it_ for him, she was the _one_ for him. He could rely on her to be there; even if that meant she was pissed off at him; he knew he could always go home and she would be there. He didn't want her to leave, but he knew how important Worvren was not only for her but for everyone in the universe that needed a safe place when their own home wasn't.

On the third day he heard an outcry, but it was of joy rather than the constant ambience of battle and cries of death. His eyes followed the path of Worvren soldiers and Alliance fighters alike standing respectfully at attention or bowing forward as a group passed through the main quarters of the commander-in-chief and Alliance leaders (which included Rick himself, Birdperson, Squanchy and some of their other friends).

"Her Royal Highness, The Queen Protector of Worvren, has returned!" a voice announced out from the collective of militants. The more that Worvren soldiers stood at attention and Alliance fighters bowed in respect, the more Rick could make out the figure coming their way. Across the holo-table with all their maps shown in 3D, the acting commander-in-chief, Diviak Yuhova Obheto, fell to a knee, head bowed down as Lucei approached. She was decked in her old armor, armed with guns she'd personally upgraded, and flanked by Lolo, Gluk Dae, and P'palwin, all in a similar state… eerily reminiscent of how they had first met.

When she reached the map table Squanchy had hopped down from a chair to fold himself into a bow, and even Birdperson had arranged his wings and tipped his head forward in something of respect. Rick was the only one who didn't have a clue what to do or how to do it when facing royalty – but especially since he was already married to said royalty. All he could manage was bowing his head slightly before he got his ass kicked by Worvren soldiers for disrespecting their queen (though honestly if they knew what he'd got up to with their queen he'd likely be killed and made an example of). "You are relieved of duty as commander-in-chief, Sir Obheto," were her first words, and then a demand of their current status against the Federation and what they've done to combat the enemy's attack.

For days after that Rick barely managed a single moment alone with his wife. She was either surrounded by her people and officers who were delivering reports or querying and confirming orders. He'd tried speaking with Lolo but even she wouldn't give him the time of day. He would try talking to her when night fell and the battle momentarily ceased but even then she was awake and planning with her closest officers – he doubted she'd slept since coming home.

It was the beginning of the second month in Rick's stay on Worvren when he finally caught her; Lucei was blood soaked, hadn't removed her armor, bathed, or slept in days, and there was a crazed look in her wide eyes. He'd grabbed her by the arm as she stepped out from the 'map room', all the other commanding officers having rushed out after understanding their plan; Rick was begging her to talk to him (not only in general, but because of the batshit order she'd just confirmed), but she just tried to brush him off again and again just as she had been, stating there was a good strategy about to go into play and she needed to be there for it.

"Lucy, stop! Y-Y-You're not thinking straight! If you go out there l-like-like this, you're gonna get yourself – you'll die out there!"

"What the hell do you even know about this, Rick? You have no idea what this is, what I'm trying to do – what I'm trying to prevent," she spat with such a venom he'd never heard come from her mouth before, he was momentarily shocked enough to loosen his grip on her. She took the moment to shake herself free, hissing out more harsh words as she started for her awaiting battalion, "Get the fuck off of me, Rick, and let me win this fucking war. You're nothing but a civilian in my way! I'm not going to take care of you here! So get off this battlefield if you're not going to give your goddamn life for this cause!"

Rick felt something twinge in his chest, but before he could even process a thought to manage a response to that dagger, a soldier was rushing up to Lucei, wailing out, "General! We're losing a lot of troops out there! We've barely moved forward!"

"Regroup, keep pushing against their defenses. We are **not** retreating from our home; we will **never** surrender to them. This war isn't over until every Federation bastard that dared step foot on my planet is dead." The soldier before her didn't seem at all disturbed by her words like Rick was. Normally something so aggressive such as that would've turned him on, but this… this was… This _wasn't_ Lucei… "We're executing order Beta-066, effective immediately. Volunteers will be regaled as heroes throughout the galaxy for eons to come."

The soldier saluted, once again unfazed by the suicide order from his Queen, "Yes, ma'am!" and ran off to help spread the word.

Lucei's designated battalion was growing anxious waiting for her in an armored vehicle, an officer was lingering outside the driver side, calling out, "General, we need you with us!"

"I'm right behind you, corporal!" she called back, stepping in their direction without another glance to her husband.

Rick couldn't believe this, so in a last ditch effort he called out, "Lucy! Think about Beth!" And it seemed like it worked, he was hopeful when Lucei had stopped in her tracks… But then she turned, and her icy gaze was back on Rick, chilling him straight down to his bones.

"I can't believe this," she sneered, "Of all the times I've told _**you**_ to think of Beth, you're using her against **me** now? It took _this_ much for you to finally think of your daughter?" she scoffed out a dry humorless laugh, shaking her head as she turned back to the waiting unit of soldiers, "Looks like we're finally making progress." She hopped into the multi-terrain vehicle, its engine rumbling, cab full to the brim with various aliens all with the same amount of rage and skill as Lucei, ready to fight to the death.

"Lucy!" Rick shouted over the rev of the vehicle's engine, but she didn't even spare him a final glance as the vehicle zoomed off, "Lucy! Goddamn it."

Rick wasn't going to lose her to this war, he couldn't lose her physically or mentally to the Federation, so he filched the nearest vehicle he stumbled upon and drove at top speeds to catch up to Lucei. He'd found them over an hour later, deep in enemy territory but concealed well enough for Lucei and some tech specialists to set up a few computers. Explosive trackers, detonation authorization codes with orders pending, and life form recognition programs illuminated various screens.

"...Repeat: do not activate the charges until my call," Lucei ordered into the mic of a headset perched on her head.

Numerous voices answered from the computers' speakers, "Yes, ma'am!"

"Lucy, you can't do this," Rick begged her to listen to reason, she was sending people to their deaths to gain an advantage, and it was only a _gamble_ at gaining the advantage.

"Gromflomite soldiers converging on our position as intended, General. We are waiting for your word." Rick saw a marker on the screen indicated as Team Alpha flicker as the report came in; there were twenty teams in total out there, waiting for Lucei to tell them to end their lives.

Team Eta cried out through static and background gunfire, "Gromflomites have opened fire! We're pinned!"

"General?" the specialist beside Lucei asked quietly, but her eyes were firm on the lifeform recognition screen, watching as more and more red specks merged around the small specks of green.

"Not yet!" she answered growled.

Team Lambda's report screeched, "They're here! We're cornered!" and then cut out into static following a gurgled cry.

There was no sign of the green specks on any of the screens, Lucei chewed on her lip before she turned to the explosives specialist and ordered into her mic, "All teams, activate charges. Detonation in three-two-!"

"Lucy!" Rick howled.

"One!"

"Detonating charges, per General G'Zuvren's order."

There a short series of blasts and then complete silence through the comm links. The lifeform screens were blank, no green, no red… although some specks of red straggled at the corners of the designated Beta-066 order areas. "Lolo, _send in some of yours to pick off the rest_ ," Lucei ordered and Lolo bowed her head in understanding and marched away.

Rick was shaking his head in utter disbelief, the last minute played over and over in his head, everything he saw and heard, over and over again, but he still couldn't believe it. "Holy shit…" he breathed.

"War is ugly, Rick. We have to do ugly things… but we just might win now thanks to their sacrifices," Lucei muttered. "And since we have significantly lowered the Fed's numbers…" she paused as she removed her headset and handed it off to a techie near her, "I need you to lead a charge."

Rick's eyes finally snapped away from the screens to look at her, his so-called _wife_ , Lucei; his gaze narrowed into a suspicious and disgusted glare, "What, sending me to my grave too?"

"Of course not… If you do this correctly," she answered with hardly any emotion at all, "You'll be by my side, we're going to hit them where it hurts most." She turned to face the ship that was suspended just outside Worvren's atmosphere. "Cut the head off the beast, and we'll end this war, together."

He followed her sight… and considered it… If they won the war, maybe she'd revert back to the Lucei he knew before, not this horrifying war mongering boss imposter. They'd win the war, Worvren would be safe again, the Federation would be severely weakened and possibly die off completely, and Rick would bring back his wife, Beth's mother, not the Queen Protector of Worvren. Yeah… He could do that. "Fine," he nodded. "When do we go…"

In theory, the plan had seemed so simple, but in practice, even with proper precautions taken, it was not so simple at all. The moment the plan was put into action, shit started to hit the fan. They were 30 minutes in, and felt nowhere near enough to the mothership hovering outside Worvren's atmosphere. In retrospect, they should've scrambled Worvren's air force rather than try and take over enemy territory on foot and try to bombard the Federation ship with rocket projectiles from the planet's bloody crust. Lucei had assured them that that is exactly what the Federation would be prepared for, exactly what they were expecting, so they should do it this way, it would work out perfectly this way, she was sure.

Rick had several injuries, none of which were troublesome enough for him to slow his pace or lose his fervor in the fight. There was a crackling in his ear before he heard a report - they had remotely damaged the Federation ship enough that it would crash land onto the surface of Worvren within the next five minutes; P'palwin had put in his two cents about where to hit the ship so that emergency systems would soften the blow when it crashed to the surface. So the ship was coming down - good, but all of the Fed goons were fighting at full force as they poured from the soon-to-be-wreck – not so good.

Alliance and Worvren soldiers lost track of each other in the blitz. Though they meant to stay together, Rick and Lucei had slipped away from one another as well. Rick was looking for her every spare moment he had. He was free from enemy assault for a several seconds, long enough for him to catch his breath and reassess his body of where it hurt worse and if it truly needed tending. He called for her, through the comms and projecting his voice over the onslaught, among the chaos and carnage, unaware that he was in someone's sight, and they were charging at him.

No one could say the Galactic Federation wasn't observant. They had somehow seen the relationship between Worvren's Queen and the Earth human Rick Sanchez. Killing her was the primary goal, but killing her lover first? It would wound her, weaken her enough for them to deal the final strike, and they would finally have Worvren among their control.

"Lucy!"

She could her the cry of her nickname crackle through static, but she could also hear it in the distance. She shot three successive rounds into Gromflomite bodies and her gun was dead, she searched her person for another, but found that one was recharging. "Fuck," she hissed and chanced the moment to search for Rick. She caught sight of his unique form quickly, but what especially caught her attention was the enormous Drozirite stampeding Rick's way with not a weapon at all in hand, just the blind ambition to mow Rick down with its body alone.

"Rick! Move!" she screamed and started to run towards Rick as well, with the very opposite intention of the Drozirite. Her boots pounded hard against Worvren's soft earth, the recharging gun in her hand clutched tightly and waiting for the satisfied fully charged indication. "Rick!" she screeched once more, and he heard her voice.

He saw the look of terror in her eyes and followed the course, seeing the Drozirite, he was startled for a moment before he scoffed and level his gun towards it and shot it right between its eyes, stopping it, quite literally, dead in its tracks. He was smirking when he turned back to Lucei, whose pace had slowed, and her terrified expression exchange for something more delightedly irritated and smitten.

But then her face morphed into something different, something confused, something pained. Her pace slowed to a complete stop, and she glanced down to see a laser burn mark through the front of her chest plate… and only two seconds afterward, blood began to seep through. Now Rick's face was colored in absolute terror as he watched her crumble to her knees. He roared out a sound of something enraged and pleading as he sprinted to her, skidding on his kneecaps and shins as he reached her. His arms circled round her as she began to exhaustedly recline towards the earth. The armor only had a drop of blood on the front, but as she began to convulse and gasp, the red fluid began to heavily pool beneath her.

"Rick," she could barely manage to speak already. The shot had been precise, perhaps lucky, but still precise enough that she was rapidly dying in his arms.

"No, no, don't talk, baby, don't talk," he shushed her as he briefly removed one arm from around her, his hand covered in her blood pressed against the comm device in his ear, "I need some help here! Lucy's been shot, i-i-it's bad, really bad, we need a fuckin' medic!"

"Rick…" Around them they didn't notice the Federation soldiers were retreating. Belatedly, he would realize the Drozirite was a ruse, distracting Lucei with Rick's _imminent death_ , she wouldn't be aware of the shot aimed at her back. Kill the Queen and retreat, the escape pods in the still crashing mothership were functional, it was likely their plan all along. "I said I would die for you… I didn't lie… Not like y-ou" she cut off on a particularly violent spasm with a pained grunt but finished her word all the same, with a cheeky grin, even.

"No, Lucy, goddamn it," he refrained from shaking her, but the less her hands clutched with softening strength onto him with every passing second, the more he fearfully dug his fingers into her armored body, "Lucy, stay awake, baby! Shit! Lucy!" He called into his comm device desperately, "Someone! Help me! Somebody fucking help me! She's- She's dying!" He couldn't look away as her glowing skin, no matter the gore and dirt caked on her, dimmed to something of a grey pallor, her small gasps of breath ceased, the smile on her lips faded… along with the light of life in her eyes...

The medics arrived, after Rick had spent two entire minutes staring at his deceased wife in his arms. When they took her away he was still sat in her blood seemingly catatonic, his arms and hands were tinted red, his pants were soaked from the knees down. He vaguely registered someone, or several someones, dropping their hands on his shoulder, muttering their condolences. But he couldn't hear a thing, couldn't see a thing except the image of her last seconds of life burned into the back of his eyes.

A funeral was held for Lucei three days later, but Rick was long gone by then. He didn't return to Earth. He couldn't return to Earth, to his daughter… couldn't look her in the eyes and fail her again, confess his ultimate failure. He could hardly bear the thought of it, how Beth would look at him, how she would cry. He had a new focus.

Rick had already dabbled with the idea of time travel, it was a short dabble since he quickly decided it was bogus and a waste of time (pun not and somewhat intended). But he was set on the idea again. He had to figure out a way to go back and save Lucei…

Years passed, and he did give up on time travel again, but only after he'd discovered the multi-verse. More years passed, he scoped out every dimension in hopes of stumbling upon a timeline where Lucei hadn't died, but so far there were none. He settled down with the family in whatever dimension he happened to be – that always stayed the same: the family. Beth had grown up fine without him, or rather with Walker and Sally as her caretakers, until she was 17 and got pregnant. The grandkids were fine, it was the husband – Jerry Smith – that Rick couldn't stand. Rick never stuck around for long, his search was never ending; there had to be a dimension where Lucei was still alive, there just had to be…

When neither Lucei, Lolo, P'palwin, Gluk Dae, or Rick returned from Worvren, and with no word from anyone, Wockar and Solir followed long-established direction: move Beth from Muskegon so that the Federation would not be able to trace back to their location and extinguish the G'Zuvren bloodline. Wocker and Solir had to keep the new queen safe, if Worvren was ever to be salvaged Beth would take up the throne.

"The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen."

.

.

.

Note: There are probably tons of errors in this big ass chapter, but I don't even know, I just wanted to get this up already!

Final chapter is next! Thanks to those who have read and followed!

I do not own Rick and Morty!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: I've Been Everywhere That You've Been – Now I've Got Nothing to Lose and Everything to Win

The Smith family had a general idea of how to break Rick from Galactic Federation prison. Since Rick was the brainiest of their perfectly dysfunctional family, he usually came up with the plans (however harebrained and booze soaked they were); second best in smarts was Beth, she came up with this plan with her children's help. Jerry hadn't wanted any part of it, and in fact, he'd already served his purpose in the plan…

Once they had returned to Earth after Birdperson and Tammy's dreadful wedding - unharmed physically, although mentally they were still unsure they fared - they were catalogued into the Galactic Federation's system and let loose onto the planet they once knew as home. The chaotic scenery that surrounded them now looked nothing like what they had left upon departing to attend Birdperson's wedding. And Jerry, of all people, seemed pleased with it only because after moments of having stood on the sidewalk bustling with aliens and Earth human foot traffic, a droid approached him to scan him, dispensed an antidepressant, and instructed him to a place where he would find work assignment to pay off the bill for the dispensed antidepressant.

Jerry Smith was regaled as a hero when he went for work assignment. He had no idea what they were talking about but, of course, welcomed the praise without question. There were several types of aliens patting him on his back for his good work and then suddenly he was integrated into the Galactic Federation's Earth HUB security division.

Needless to say, Beth, Morty and Summer felt a huge sense of betrayal when there was news coverage of Jerry being acclaimed as the hero who turned in the extremely hostile, intergalactic criminal Rick Sanchez…

As with most jobs, Jerry wasn't sure what he was doing, but he was apparently doing it well enough as he was promoted several times over the course of his first few months employed. This is when Beth began to formulate; she utilized Jerry's job to her advantage – the higher Jerry's promotions took him in Federation security, the easier it would be to access information on where her father was contained.

It only took a couple of visits from Beth being a _sweet, caring wife and bringing her heroic, amazing, perfect husband_ some lunch to work for her to get to the files she needed. From there they needed transport. Using Jerry's ID badge would give them admittance to certain Federation issued places and property.

By this time, the morning of the intended breakout, Rick had been incarcerated for six months. Beth, Morty and Summer were huddled up in the basement, speaking in hushed voices as they reviewed the plan once more. All of them understood what could happen – one of them, two of them, or all of them could die trying to pull this off, or they could be arrested just like Rick. They understood the consequences, they were still going to try to get Rick back.

"No," Morty spoke up, "No, we **will** get Rick back." Summer and Beth could only manage a smile as they nodded along assuredly with him…

Summer stole the ship, Morty flew the ship, Beth provided the coordinates of the prison deep in space that contained their treasured Rick…

Sneaking around a maximum security facility containing the universe's worst criminals should have put Morty's nerves on edge. Make no mistake, Morty was terribly on edge, sweating and shaking with every step he took, but it wasn't the fact that criminals were housed here, instead it was the fact that the Federation's goons could be lurking around every corner to thwart his family's carefully created plan. He wasn't paying attention for less than a moment when he heard a hissed outcry, "Morty, look out!" followed by the sound of a laser round pinging off the wall near him, he was shoved behind a body then noted the noise of a blade singing through the air until it thunked heavily into something, causing that something to emit a gurgling gasp for breath.

Peeking around the body that was shielding him he saw a Fed officer choking on his own dark blood, a seriously alien and deadly looking knife lodged deep into his throat. He turned his glance to his savior with the question of, "W-W-What the hell?" And how did they know his name? But upon the stranger turning and Morty actually seeing who had saved him, he felt his throat and tongue go dry, felt his heart thump hard against his ribs, eyes staring wider in complete disbelief.

"You alright, kiddo?" She was only an inch or so taller than him, hair that was once a vibrant red was muted to something more of a dark, dusty pink pulled up into a high bun. She was decked in armor that had endured plenty of battles, riddled with dents and stains. She looked so perfect, it was impossible. Rick hadn't kept any photos of her, and neither had Beth. But Morty was sure of it, sure of who she was. He couldn't believe he was staring into the eyes of the person he had inherited the very same color from.

"Gr-Gr-Gramma Lucy?"

She dropped her hands onto his shoulders, "Talk later, Morty. This place is too dangerous for you." Lucei pulled off her left glove to stroke through Morty's hair and quickly assess him for injuries. "You haven't got a single piece of protective gear on you, what are you think- Oh, **shit**. Please tell me your mother and Summer aren't here too?"

"Y-yeah, Summer and Mom are keeping guard while I –" he was cut off by a very loud and floor rumbling crash in the distance. Lucei instinctively shot an arm out to protect Morty as she listened for any signs of the far away cries and alarms coming closer to them – they weren't, but it was only a matter of time.

"Shit!" Lucei turned back to Morty, pulling a small metal box-like device riddled with wires and various tiny bulbs of colorful light from her hip to strap onto Morty's belt loop, "This is a shield," she pressed a button which seemed to activate it and envelope him but Morty didn't feel any different, she continued on "It can be used as a grenade in a moment of desperation but I want you to keep it on. Now listen, Morty. I had this operation going smoothly before you all came and fucked it up." The boy felt a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth at the candid way his grandmother spoke, it reminded him a lot of Rick. "There's a man who looks a lot like Beth just down this hall and outside that door to the right, go to him, his name is Rikki, he'll protect you. Take him with you to find Summer and your mother, follow his directions." Lucei was already starting in the opposite direction, the direction Morty had been going before his assumed-dead grandmother saved him from a laser shot to the brain.

He glanced toward the way she'd told him to go, but looked back to her and called out, "W-Wait! Gramma Lucy, wh-what about Rick?!" He was running after her, jumping over the Fed officer's body and noticing the alien knife was gone from his throat – man, she worked fast.

"I'll get him, that's why I'm here! I promise you, I'll get him! I'll meet you within the next 10 minutes! Now go, Morty!"

Although Morty felt strangely more inclined to listen to his grandmother's directions after knowing her for less than five minutes than he did taking direction from his grandfather he'd known for more than a year, he couldn't do it. "Gr-Gramma, wait up! Y-Y-You can't go alone! Y-You need someone to watch y-y-your – to watch – to back you up!"

She breathed out a soft sigh. "Keep up then!" she tossed over her shoulder and Morty surged his legs faster to keep pace with Lucei. "Rikki, we've got a problem," she seemed to be speaking into the open air, but with a quick glance Morty saw the earpiece plugged into her right ear and her fingers pressing into a mic on her collar.

Morty didn't expect to hear the other side of that conversation, but was astounded to hear a voice that sounded a lot like Rick's that wasn't punctuated with burps and stutters answer, "What? What's happened?" Maybe it was something to do with the shield Lucei had activated on his belt loop that let him in on the comm link – whatever, it didn't matter.

"This isn't going to be as simple as we anticipated. I need you to go find your sister and niece."

"What?"

"Beth and Summer, Rikki. I've got Morty with me, we're going to get Rick. Find your sister and niece and protect them, head back to the ship, make sure Norma's okay."

Another voice, Morty noted it was much like his mother's voice but much raspier, a touch lower in tone, "I'm okay, Mom. The hangar bay doors are officially stuck open, secondary explosives charges are in place, and the detonator is active. That was the reason for that crash, by the way, sorry. Although it did lure away most of the Gromflomites from you guys so…"

"Give us eight minutes, Norma," Lucei ordered, and threw her arm out to stop Morty from walking any farther when they reached a fork in their path, she peeked around the corner, muttering orders as she pulled an impressive looking rifle from over her shoulder, "Get the ship running, be sure it's portal jumping abilities haven't been compromised." Morty watched as she adjusted her sights and flicked off the safety before pulling the trigger down five times, releasing the spent shells, reloading, then putting the safety back on and replacing the rifle onto her back once more. She stuck her hand out for Morty to grab while she moved forward, and he hastily took hold as they drew closer to the holding area where Rick supposedly was. "We need that baby running and airborne before those bastards can saddle up and follow us through the portal."

"Roger that, Mom," the one Morty understood to be 'Norma' responded.

"Understood," the one called 'Rikki' answered, "Looks like you're approaching the containment unit, radio silence requested?"

"Yes, update as needed for emergencies. Silence proceeding."

Morty felt like he was in the midst of a serious operation, and he was way out of his depth although he, his sister and mother had managed to infiltrate Galactic Federation security to get this far into the prison. The doors to the cellblock whooshed open and Lucei pulled Morty along through, and they shut hastily after them. Rows upon rows of inmates decked in orange jumpsuits and strapped by the wrists, ankles and throat to individually designated plates lined the extensive walls of the cellblock. Morty was gawking openly at the number of inmates, he didn't think his mother had taken this part into consideration. All his senses seemed to be occupied in scanning the orange suits for Rick's familiar form, he didn't notice Lucei pulling out a short pistol and quietly gunning down several officers until the sound of their bodies thumped to the steel-like floor. He finally glanced back to his grandmother when she was tugging him along by the hand again, "Solitary," she breathed just low enough for Morty to make out.

"He-He's not here?" Morty questioned, his eyes briefly looking to the hundreds of beings lining the cellblock walls.

"No, he was moved several months ago. Too dangerous to let him stay among the masses, dubbed too charismatic and influential," she informed softly, a smirk in her words, but it quickly vanished when she added, "He's also very weak, couldn't let other prisoners take advantage."

She walked the secluded corridors of the cellblocks as if she did so daily, turning corners without a stagger in her step as she maneuvered them to the long hall of solitary cells. She came to a halt before a door labeled 21021 with alien code preceding and following it, but Morty could only make out the numbers. Lucei released Morty's hand to rip at the panel beside the door, once it was fully out, she plucked something concealed beneath her left wrist gauntlet and plugged it into an output on the panel. In just seconds, Morty witnessed the panel become corrupted enough to short out, and then blink back to life with the simple inquiry of 'Unlock cell door 21021?'. Morty watched Lucei as she seemed to hesitate, pulling in a slow breath and then letting it out just as slow before she pressed a key to confirm. Several heavy sounds of locks releasing came from the door before it slowly slid open with an ominous grinding and screech of metal on metal.

Morty and Lucei stepped through the doorway. The room was small, dark except for the very center where Rick was bathed in bright light. He was strapped to a similar panel the likes which Morty had seen in the cellblock, but this one seemed much harsher; either because it contained his grandfather or because his grandfather looked so frail and the panel was the only thing keeping him upright, he wasn't sure. Rick's head was slumped forward, his light blue hair a long, frizzing mess. Morty assumed he was asleep that way, but by the way Rick was mumbling - he'd spent enough time with his grandfather to differentiate sleep mumbling and conscious mumbling, they were hearing the latter.

He glanced away from Rick when he heard Lucei let out another slow shuddering breath. She looked a balance between heartbroken and terrified as she started forward. Morty moved to follow, but she stuck a hand out behind her, "Stay right there," she ordered gently.

"Gramma Lucy-" he began to protest, but she waved her hand and spoke over him.

"Just wait, Morty. He's been detoxing, he's very weak, but he could get violent. Who knows how much he's been hallucinating."

Rick's body seemed to go rigid at the sound of her voice. His head lolled backward until it thumped hard against the panel containing him. "So this must be hell…" he mused idly, but then muttered in harsh realization, "Oh, shit, that means I died… I died and I'm in fucking hell! I'm getting tortured by a fake Lucy."

"D-Don't detox symptoms lessen after a while? I-I-I mean, he's been forced to be sober for six months," Morty muttered.

"Morty, this is your grandfather we're talking about," Lucei stated, "The last six months have probably felt like 24-72 hours following the last drink."

Rick let out a sharp bark of laughter, causing both Lucei and Morty to startle.

"Rick…" Lucei began softly, carefully, she was just three feet away from Rick, and he lifted his head toward the light to actually look at her. A small smile tugged at his lips surrounded by scruffy unchecked facial hair, his eyes were half lidded and bleary as he stared at her. "Listen… You're in Galactic Federation Maximum Security Custody. I came to rescue you but your kindhearted family fucked all of that up."

He huffed out another laugh, and a long moment of silence dragged on until he lunged forward in a burst of rage, Morty yelped while Lucei only shifted backward a step, "You're not my Lucy," Rick growled out.

"Yes, I am."

"Don't you fucking dare! You fucking- fucking imposter!" he was thrashing against his restraints, and Morty presumed the officers had rid Rick's panel of the throat restraint so he wouldn't strangle himself as he likely tried to before. "My Lucy died! I saw her…" his burst of strength hastily diminished and he was slumping again against his bonds, voice going as weak as his body, "I saw… Saw the life leave her god-goddamn body!"

Lucei bit her lip, fighting back against the stinging of tears in her eyes. Her fists clenched as she collected herself and nearly shouted, "Rick! Shut the fuck up, and just follow me, alright?! Your entire family is here to save you. Ser buen chico para mi y escucha direcciones!"

Rick groaned pitifully, "Don't gimme that 'good boy' bullshit like you _know_ I loved that. You don't know me! You're not the real Lucy!"

Lucei groaned in irritation, scrubbing her hands over her face, "For fuck's sake. Alright, quick explanation. The me you saw die? That was Lucei G'Zuvren – aka ' _Big Bad Wolf_ ' - from dimension J19ζ7."

"You mean from the dimension with the Rick that eats shit?"

"Oh, for the love of- He doesn't eat shit!"

Morty was almost compelled to laugh at the interaction between his grandparents, but considering the setting and current situation, he swallowed it down.

"Right, right. Sure he doesn't," Rick mumbled back in a tone of total arrogance.

"J19ζ7's Lucei and Rick never met. So they never had a Beth. There was no Summer or Morty either. That Lucei escaped Galactic Federation containment on her own, she was on a vendetta. It was a hard life bent on slaughtering the government in every dimension, by any means she was disposed to." While Lucei was explaining Rick seemed to pay more attention, actually taking in her words as his brow furrowed in concentration. "She took my place knowing that I had a Rick and Beth. She took my place as commanding officer and died for me. I was in the battle too, but you were following _her_. You saw _**her**_ die…"

There was a very long, very tense pause as Rick stared at Lucei until finally he muttered, "No fucking way."

"Way," Lucei confirmed with a breathy laugh, then continued, "Now, we've got about four more minutes to get the hell outta here. Are you going to promise not to attack me or our grandson if we release you? Because I really don't wanna have to kick your ass when you're as weak as a kitten, fuckin' cabrón."

Morty saw the very moment when it clicked in Rick's head, when he realized this was for real, "Holy shit… Lucy… You… Y-You came to save me."

"It was a pain in the ass," Lucei walked away from Rick to yank at another concealed panel in the wall, bypassing fancy corrupting tech completely this time she just stepped back and shot a blaster round into it, "But worth it." She tucked away the blaster and quickly rushed back to Rick when the restraints released and he crumbled down on sluggish limbs. Lucei looked to Morty and jerked her head in a wordless demand for help, and the teen hurried over, arranging Rick's left arm around his shoulders and hooking his own arms around his grandfather's extremely thin waist. "I heard through several different sources about Birdperson's wedding. I figured you wouldn't actually go, so I nearly went myself, but it's a damn good thing I missed it, apparently," she explained, supporting Rick much the same as Morty was and with a nod they started out of the cell.

"Lucy, I love you. I should have told you every day, all the shit I-I did, I-I-I'm sorry, babe, oh my god, Lucy-"

Morty snapped his glance up to his grandfather in absolute shock. Expression of love and apologies, let alone emotions at all were a rarity with Rick. But Lucei took it in stride.

"I know. Now come on. Norma's got a ship waiting for us to portal into, Beth and Summer should be with Rikki. We've got to hurry."

As they exited the cell and down a different path through solitary Rick's voice echoed through the corridor, "Who the fuck are Rikki and Norma?"

.

"Holy fuck, please don't shoot me, I swear I'm only here to help," Rikki did, in fact, look a lot like Beth aside from his hair being a bit redder than blond. He was tall and lanky and seemed still in the awkward stage the way a teenage boy is with their adult body. Summer and Beth had no guns to speak of, which in hindsight was a bad call on their part since the Federation would definitely shoot them dead regardless of being unarmed. "Oh…" he mumbled when he noticed his error, "Well, here," he plucked two guns off his person, tapping into the settings of one and priming it before handing it to Beth, "Recharge delay for these blasters is about 5.7 seconds after 15 rounds fired. Do not shoot while I'm shooting unless you are sure you've got the shot; we can't risk all of us recharging at the same time." The awkwardness melted away as he gave instructions to the women, "We have limited shield capacity as it is, so stay behind me, I'll be able to take the impact of the hits, if there are any. We need to get to the main hangar, so that means going through a lot of Fed personnel. Once we push through these soldiers, we'll make our way through that corridor and take a series of lefts and rights. Norma is in the hangar with a ship ready for us, we get in the ship and wait for Mom, Dad and Morty, we portal to Worvren. Sound good?" He'd handed the other gun to Summer, and pulled a more formidable blaster from his back to settle in his hands, and waited for a response after his spiel… There was a long pause where Beth was staring with a blank expression while Summer was glancing between him and her mother, definitely noting the similarities instantly.

"…Mom?" Beth finally sputtered out in confusion.

"Yeeaah," Rikki drew out the word as he peeked around the corner of their cover, "So these aren't the most ideal of circumstances but uhhh nice to finally meet you, big sister."

Summer clicked her tongue, "So could've called it."

Beth was far more shocked than her daughter, "You're… You're my brother? Then... So that means- Mom is…?"

"Saving Dad? Yep. Now let's go, it's preferred if all members of the family make it to the reunion," Rikki winked and bolted around the corner, blaster firing and Gromflomites crying out in fear, outrage, and for back up. Summer hurried to back him up, she called to Beth to hurry up and follow but Beth was still struck.

"Mom is alive… She's… She's alive!"

.

"Welcome aboard the S.S. Homecoming!"

"Norma, not now!" Rikki rebuked as he rushed onboard with Beth and Summer in tow, the ramp drawing up after them. Rikki was flush against the nearest portside window, eyes peering out and searching desperately. Beth followed to do the same.

"Aww, c'mon," Norma muttered back but then cursed at the sight of Summer, "Holy **shit** , you look so much like Mom!"

"And _you_ look so much like Grampa Rick," Summer responded, taking in the sight of the very tall and very blue haired female called Norma, she had a more relaxed look about her than Rikki, though both were clearly military. Still taking in the details of Summer's _aunt_ , she noticed a headset nestled within the mass of her blue hair, the mic peeking out near her left cheek. Summer suspected she looked a lot like how Rick did when he was younger, which was likely very handsome, though she notably made an effort to maintain her appearance. "'Cept for the whole," she motioned with a hand toward her forehead, indicating the lack of an untamed unibrow.

"Mm! Oh yeah," Norma agreed, "I know this Gaaorg back home, does amazing brow work."

"Eyebrow talk later, engines on now, please?!" Rikki urged from his place still slammed against the window.

"Yes, yes, alright!" Norma hurried away to the cockpit, "Everything's prepped, Mom said eight minutes, right? So that's means," she glanced down to her left wrist where several bands with different faces and various functions were, one of them was a watch, which displayed a countdown of, "58 more seconds."

Beth gasped and pointed, all of their eyes followed her direction as she shouted, "There they are!"

"Oh my god, Grampa can barely walk!"

"They need cover. Norma, get the ramp down!" Rikki rushed away from the window to man the ship's gunner.

"I am! It's going down! Someone needs to pull them in! We're gonna have a lot of Fed heat on us!" Norma was flicking at switches and pushing buttons, turning dials and muttering at read out screens, "Okay the ramp is down! We've gotta go as soon as their feet are on this ship!"

"Norma, close the ramp!" Lucei's voice was breathing heavily as it resonated throughout the cockpit.

"Mom!" Norma shot back in concern and indignation.

"Do it!" Lucei ordered.

"Goddamn it, Mom!" Norma growled as she hit the switch for the ramp and turned in her seat to see Beth and Summer behind her, "Someone go! Go to the ramp! Pull them in!"

They hurried away, dimly aware of the constant laser canon fire from the small ship's gunner. The ramp was closing, the landing gear was drawn up, the ship was idling in the air and raising higher. Morty, Lucei and Rick were several yards away; Lucei and Morty running as best as they could as two short people with a person as tall as Rick hoisted between them.

"Morty, take your sister's hand! I've got him!"

Morty followed his grandmother's command, jumping onto the closing ramp and catching Summer's offered hand before sharply turning on his heel to help collect Lucei and Rick. There was no way she could jump and land on her feet with Rick in tow, so she jumped, throwing herself toward the closing edge of the ramp. With several feet to spare, she curved her body to take the impact of the fall. Beth, Morty and Summer yanked them up the ramp as it closed completely.

Lucei wheezed, the wind completely knocked out of her with that maneuver, but she laughed through it anyway, glancing down to Rick in her arms. His eyes were glassy and fighting to stay open as he took in the sight of his family and met Lucei's eyes once again as she chuckled, "I got you, you old bastard."

"Morty! I need your help!" Norma's voice called out loudly from the cockpit. The teen jumped in his skin and ran off. "Type in these coordinates into that display on the dash," Norma said as soon as she heard his footfalls enter the cockpit.

He settled down in the co-pilot's chair and took the data pad with coordinates in bright green alphanumeric code, he typed it in, "Now what?"

"Once we're out of this hangar, and once Rikki gives the okay, you hit that launch button."

"O-O-Okay!"

"How are we lookin', Rikki?"

"Just a couple more!... Shit!" he cursed and less than a second later the ship trembled heavily, "Sorry!"

"Just tell us when!"

Several tense seconds passed where their ship was hit again as they eased out of the hangar bay, the lighting flickered on the ship with each quake, and then Rikki shouted, "Now!"

"Now, Morty!"

Morty slammed his palm down on the launch button. His eyes widened in awe at the sight of an enormous green portal, much like the ones he stepped through with Rick. The massive swirling vortex settled in front of their ship waiting to envelop them. Norma didn't hesitate as she zoomed straight through it and they popped out on the other side to an area of completely calm and quiet space. "We make it?" Norma asked.

"Portal's closed, no ships followed through!" Rikki reported from the gunner.

"Yes!" Norma cried, her hands flew over the controls and she began to speak formally with a smile in her voice, "Homebase, this is Commander Norma G'Zuvren requesting permission to land."

"Permission granted, Commander. What is the status of your mission?" a voice filtered through the cockpit in answer, and Morty was stunned yet again to see an entire planet flicker into sight and Norma release the controls as their ship was caught in a tractor beam.

"Successful. Very, very successful," Norma affirmed, raised her hands to rest behind her head in a pose of relaxed triumph.

Rikki shuffled in behind Norma and Morty to inform, "Mom and Dad need medical attention," before scurrying away once again.

Norma's pose deflated, "Okay maybe not _very, very_ successful, but we're all **alive** , alright? Could we get a medical team upon arrival?"

"Confirmed, Commander."

"Thank you," Norma responded and took off her headset, tossing it onto the control board with a sigh. She looked to Morty, who was still awestruck by Worvren as they drew closer and closer. She dropped a hand on her shoulder, startling the kid out of his daze, she laughed, "Welcome home, kid."

.

When Rick woke it was because he choked on his own saliva. He sat up, struggled to at least, and coughed until his throat settled down enough that he could drink some water and settle it completely. His hands scrambled for the bedside table, for the glass of water he always kept there. He chugged it down and replaced the glass before flopping back down onto the bed.

He was nearly asleep again after closing his eyes and breathing normally for several seconds… but then he realized that this bed wasn't his cot, this room wasn't his solitary cell, this building was far from Galactic Federation max security prison. He sat up again, too fast this time, and winced at the pain he felt all over.

It was day, he could see the light peeking around the edges of the light canceling curtains covering the windows. Day time on Worvren. He knew this wasn't a very vivid hallucination or ridiculous dream. His sober mind wasn't creative enough to conjure something so stupendous as that up. His family had actually rescued him… After all the shit he'd done to them, they still came for him…

"Fuck," he sighed and arranged himself to leave the hospital bed, or what he assumed was a hospital bed, but found he was attached to an IV drip – so assumption correct: hospital bed. "God- Goddamn it," he cursed and carefully pulled the IV stand with him and would have to drag it around with him as his support like a fucking weakling as he staggered through the barren medical wing of what was undoubtedly the G'Zuvren… home? Estate? He wasn't sure what to call it, he wasn't sure if he even was in Lucei's home, mansion? Or if he was in an actual hospital and not Lucei's place... Regardless, he had to find her, or Beth, or someone, anyone familiar.

He found the door to the room, and hot damn he'd been given his own hospital room, clearly Lucei didn't hate him too badly. Just as the door cracked open and he was bathed in natural light he heard, "Grampa's awake." Summer's voice, followed by Morty's, "G-Geez, Rick! Take - take it easy, okay?!" And his grandson was at his side in an instant, giving him support he didn't actually need but he didn't protest to.

"Wh-Where's your gramma, kids?" Rick's voice was raspy and thick from disuse.

Summer and Morty guided Rick along the house, and it was an actual house, probably significantly bigger than the Smith house was on Earth; definitely had more space, they passed a few halls evenly lined with doors that led to numerous rooms that housed who-knows what, and there were no stairs, thank fuck. Their end destination was a large living room with an expansive kitchen attached to it, but Rick was more focused on the ridiculously comfortable looking furniture and the people dotted along it. Upon he and his grandchildren shuffling into sight, the living room conversation about 'filing reports, or rather the reluctance to do so' ceased. Beth had to turn where she was seated to follow the others gazes, and she smiled when she saw Rick, a genuine happy and relieved smile directed at him, and goddamn if that didn't melt his heart. She stood up from the couch and walked over to hug him carefully, "Hi, Dad."

"Hi, sweetie," he hugged her as tightly as his body would allow, his eyes peeking over her shoulder to the other familiar face perched on one of the couches, and two other faces that weren't familiar yet instantly familiar. Rick wasn't stupid enough to not recognize his own genetics at work… and he was surprised to see the blue hair color had affected him deeply enough to alter the chromosomes he passed onto his offspring. It was pretty interesting.

Beth released him from her embrace and guided him by the hand to take a seat on the couch she was seated at moments ago. He let out a long groan as he settled down and indeed the couch was just as comfortable as it looked, nearly as comfortable as his 'hospital bed'.

"How are you feeling?" Lucei ventured to ask first.

"Feeling about as good as a look."

"Shit, then," the blue haired girl supplied with a small grin; his younger daughter, he couldn't remember the names Lucei had provided during their great escape.

Rick nodded, "Bingo."

For a few moments it was quiet as Rick and Lucei seemed to stare each other down, but not at all in an angry way as was the usual years ago. Someone cleared their throat, the redheaded guy, looked a copy of Beth, Rick's son, holy shit, the realization finally caught up to him – he had three kids now…

"So, Beth has been waiting patiently for the past week for _the_ story, Dad- er…" the kid paused, "Rick?" he corrected, but Rick just waved him off, a wordless 'whatever you like' gesture. "Dad probably wants to know too." Summer and Morty looked the most eager for story time, seated by Rick's blue haired spawn.

All eyes turned to Lucei, and for a moment she just seemed to bask in the attention of her entire family, until finally breathing out a sigh of, "Alright…"

.

 _She took a shaky breath and closed her eyes as she stepped through the portal first… When she opened her eyes it was like she'd stepped back in time, amidst war again; she felt her blood boil, her heart quicken to an aggressive pace, the unwavering urge to protect her home consumed her anew… "There really is no place like home…" They were standing among one of Worvren's many metropolises reduced to ruins due to the years long war waged between the Federation and the sanctuary planet. They were some ways away from the capital of the Worvren, in the center of which Lucei's home and likely the base of operations was located. Distantly there was the sound of projectiles being exchanged between combatants, the earth quaked gently with every other sudden boom. They would likely have to walk an entire day to get to the capital, and with 14 hours of daylight left, they thought they had better start their trek as soon as possible._

" _Woah, hang on there, C-137."_

 _Lucei and her companions startled at the sound of that voice, an exact replica of Lucei's voice, only… she hadn't spoken. Concealed among the shadows of nearby rubble of a former building, another Lucei emerged, looking nearly the same as Lucei, only littered in an extra amount of scars, likely littered in a different pattern around her body. The other Lucei said with palms open and offered in peace, "Don't freak out. I can explain this."_

" _I'd hope so, because I'm very close to shooting you."_

" _That is_ so _something I've said to myself before," the other Lucei laughed heartily, "C'mon, take cover," she jerked her head toward the shadows created by the rubble of a skyscraper._

 _Once they were all settled under cover, it was time to get acquainted, which Lucei initiated with, "Who the hell are you?"_

" _I'm Lucei," the other Lucei responded, but then quickly added, "I'm_ _ **a**_ _Lucei. Just like you're_ _ **a**_ _Lucei as well. I'm from dimension J19ζ7. You are from this dimension, which is designated as C-137."_

" _Right… Simple enough, I suppose. There are dimensions other than the one we reside in, alternate universes… And interdimensional travel is possible," Lucei nodded along._

" _It is," J19ζ7 Lucei confirmed, "You know Rick's portal gun? All you've got to do is tweak it a little bit, and with the right coordinates you can hop through dimensions as well as anywhere in space."_

" _You know Rick?"_

 _J19ζ7 Lucei grinned, "Now this is where the explanation truly begins," she paused and Lucei took in the alternate image of herself – she looked positively exhausted, she was sure that if they were side by side they would be simple to tell apart with how ragged J19ζ7 appeared. "In my universe, Dad was shot and killed, war started, Lolo and the rest of us were captured by the Federation and put on transport to the maximum security holding facility, same as everyone else's story… Only difference with mine is, there was no Rick aboard the transport ship I was in. We were contained in maximum security for several years before we broke out and were met by what was left of Worvren's citizens. Which was fine, because I knew someone would come for us eventually if we couldn't break ourselves out. But once we were free, we learned that Worvren was obliterated. We had no home to return to, there was no sanctuary for anyone to flee to… I went into a rage, thinking there must be a way to turn back time and find the moment where I could change everything… Instead, I figured out how to make project teleportation vortexes, and after exploring and testing, I understood how to visit alternate realities… I thought, if I couldn't stop my own world from being destroyed in my own universe, maybe I could stop it from happening in the universes of other Lucei's…"_

 _Lucei and her companions remained quiet as the J19ζ7 told her tale._

" _In every dimension I've visited, I learned that every Lucei had a Rick, who then create a Beth. Evidently, I'm the only Lucei without a Rick, without a Beth. So I couldn't yank whatever-dimension of myself out of that and urge me to listen to the call for battle to save our home. I had to wait. Lucei's either leave their Rick's to return home, or they rush after Rick's who have ventured to Worvren to save it, or in rare cases, Lucei's and Rick's go together without any conflict. Either way, when that has happened, I followed. I communicated with the other me, tell my story about Worvren being destroyed, and we fight to preserve that dimension's Worvren… Needless to say-"_

" _It's not been successful…" Lucei supplied._

 _J19ζ7 nodded, "It has not. And it's led me to believe that it's fixed point in time; a Lucei must die on the battlefield. The result of a Lucei's death either boosts or crushes morale, and Worvren is either just barely saved or destroyed completely."_

 _Lucei understood, but she wanted to burst, and she knew J19ζ7 knew that she wanted to shout at her – What the hell are you here for then?_

" _I'm here," J19ζ7 began, as if hearing her thought and answering it aloud, "Because I am finished, C-137. I'm tired of seeing countless versions of myself die. I'm tired of experiencing the anguish from those around that self that follows… I am tired…" she confessed with a heavy sigh, "So I've come up with this solution. I will take your place on the battlefield as C-137. I will die in this universe as the Lucei who_ must _die, the fixed point will be fulfilled, but_ you _can keep living,_ you _can keep fighting, and create a new timeline in which you keep Worvren, you_ _ **defeat**_ _the Galactic Federation._ "

.

"Wha… W-Why the fuck didn't you let me in on thi-that?!" came Rick's explosive interruption that had him wincing in pain and Beth fretting over him.

"The less people that knew, the better," Lucei rationalized, "If the Federation knew there were two Lucei's they'd try to kill us both. One of us had to survive to be able to keep fighting and catch them completely off guard."

"Alrigh-right, but… That Lucei said some fucked up shit before she died."

"Yeah," Lucei muttered almost fondly, "You really pissed me off, so I armed her with those barbs just in case she had time."

"Asshole."

"Mm," Lucei hummed with a grin, then continued on, "I had planned on revealing everything to you like I did with the rest of the planet after J19ζ7's funeral, but you were gone. I had no way of sending out a message to you after sources confirmed you had not returned to Earth – **asshole** ," Lucei glared for a few moments, but then began to mutter, "Sending a message in a _timely_ fashion from Worvren to Earth is still tricky for some goddamn reason. I've always known where Beth was, and until you returned to Earth, it was easier to keep an eye on you. Which," Lucei turned to her eldest daughter, and reached over the short distance between the couches for Beth to take her outstretched hands. And Beth did, as Lucei spoke with complete sincerity, her eyes shining and already growing red around the edges with fresh tears, "I wrote so many messages to send you, I wanted to send them so badly… Just to tell you I was sorry for not coming back as quickly as promised, to tell you I'm okay, that I just needed a little more time before I could come back to you… But there was the risk that the messages would be intercepted, and the Federation would find you and use you against me. I couldn't put you into danger, or your family into that sort of danger…" The wetness built up until it her eyelashes could no longer contain it, tears cascaded down her cheeks in fast droplets one after the other after the other. "As creepy as it sounds, I've been able to watch over you where I knew you'd be safest… I'm so sorry, Beth, my sweet little girl I left behind... Please find it in your heart to forgive-"

"I forgive you, Mom!" Beth choked out in a rush, swallowing thickly a few times as she nodded along, her fingers clutching Lucei's, "I forgive you. Just, please don't cry anymore or else I'm gonna start crying."

"And if she starts crying, Rikki will start crying," Norma sighed aloud as she produced a tissue box from a side table and walked it over to her mother, "And I'll start crying – disgustingly emotional chain reaction… It'll get weird when all of us are sitting here crying. So let's not, huh?"

Lucei chuckled as she took a tissue from the box and dabbed at her eyes, cheeks and beneath her nose.

"So then what happened? After the funeral?" Rick prompted.

"Oh, well, like I said, I revealed myself. Determination was restored to my military, some of the Alliance remained, but you, Birdperson, and Squanchy had already bailed. The war continued, I ejected these two," Lucei jutted a thumb over her shoulder where Rikki was perched on the arm of the couch, and then pointed to Norma who returned to being seated on the opposite couch beside Summer and Morty, "outta me a short while later. War kept on, but we were doing fine. We finally pushed them back enough that they were no longer on planet, continuing battle outside of Worvren's atmosphere. These two," she referred to Norma and Rikki once again, "were part of the Specialized Fighter Corps that took down the main ship eight years ago, thus ending the conflict between Worvren and the Galactic Federation."

"Woah!" Morty openly gawked, while Summer gushed, "No way! So you guys were like, what, 11 or 12 years old?"

"You let – you _**allowed**_ twelve-year-old kids, l-l-let alone – n-not to mention, y-your _own_ twelve-year-old kids into a space battle against the Feds?! W-W-What are you, crazy?!" Rick exploded, oddly and rather belated fatherly intuition causing his family to smirk at his outburst.

Lucei quirked up one brow, "Of course I allowed it, only because they proved their skills were exceptional. If they sucked, I would've kept them the hell out of there."

"Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, Rikki."

"Extra thanks for letting me lead my own squadron," Norma added.

"Wow…" Beth muttered in awe at her impressive younger siblings, though, she herself was quite impressive as well – clearly it was a genetic thing – and clearly Earth had dampened her chances of flaunting her grandeur.

"U-Unbeli-believable. Can-Can you believe this shit, M-Morty?" Rick muttered in distaste.

"Anyway…" Lucei said with a not-at-all-disguised smirk on her face, "Following the Federation's retreat, we moved Worvren to new uncharted coordinates in the galaxy, patched up our cloaking and deflection shields, and we've been rebuilding ever since. Beth, Summer and Morty have had the tour, but I think we should hold off on showing you around until you can walk again."

Rick agreed, and added, "Never did see much of Worvren when we were mostly getting shot at."

"A-And now the story about how you knew exactly where to find Rick in maximum security space prison?" Morty asked.

"Ah," Lucei murmured and seemed to balk before going into what sounded like a rehearsed ramble, "Well, you know that Worvren provides sanctuary to those who need it. Some temporary lodgers have had intel on the inner workings of that facility…"

A smirk grew on Rick's face now, he interrupted the babble, "You've broken someone ou-out- sprung someone f-from there before."

Lucei sighed out, "Yes."

He followed up with an innocent, "Fuckin' 'em?"

"Dad!" "Grampa!" "Rick!" Numerous voices cried out in horror.

"Yeah," Lucei conceded without any shame, which was followed by a short stunned silence then a similar outcry from moments ago, only with, "Mom!" "Gramma!" "Holy shit, I knew it! Rikki, I _told_ you! I called it!" "Norma, put your hand down I am not high fiving you over your confirmed theories involving Mom's conquests."

"I would've gone to break you out as soon as I heard about it. But the thing of it is, I'd heard about Birdperson's wedding first. And I was nearly tempted to go, knowing you probably wouldn't go, even though you **know** that would've been a total dick move when we had _our own_ wedding on _**his**_ planet."

"How'd you even hear about the wedding?"

Lucei snorted then laughed, "Those egg-vites are addressed to genetic code. And most of the guests were anti-Federation activists… You know how many egg-vites showed up on Worvren that day?" Rick nodded in agreement with that reasoning, and she continued, "But then I reconsidered because you know the whole 'hey, not-actually-dead' thing would've taken away from BP's big day… And it was a good thing I didn't show up, would've been like 34 years ago all over again."

"So you heard about what happened with Birdperson?" Rick muttered solemnly.

"Yeah…" Lucei answered quietly, and the whole room was quiet as Rick nodded once, and while his eyes were cast downward, he missed the secret smirk his family was sharing around him. Lucei then pressed on in a much lighter tone, "But he's doing much better now."

Rick's head snapped up so quickly they nearly expected to hear an audible snap, his eyes widened as he stared at Lucei in doubt, "Wh – What – Y-Y-You're shitting me, right?"

She shook her head, "I showed up with a fully weaponized battalion once an insider sent a distress call. The Fed's were forced to withdraw, but not before we released those that had been captured. Medical officers were tending to Birdperson and any other injured while I was off searching for you with what little information Squanchy could provide. By the time I was halfway through searching it was broadcast throughout the galaxy that you were confirmed in custody, and Beth and the kids were taken back to Earth."

"Once a planet joins the Federation it's off limits to us. We spent months trying to pin down which facility Dad was placed in, and then figuring out that facility's layout – which Mom apparently knew well enough from _her intel_ – and then planning the actual escape," Rikki supplied.

"And, needless to say, going in immediately after booking would've been a rookie move."

"No doubt," Rick agreed with Norma.

"A-A-And then we ran into each other," Morty chimed in.

"And now we're all here!" Summer gestured around the room, "One big happy family, most of us still recovering from physical and psychological injuries."

"Oh that reminds me," Norma hopped up from her seat, "Gotta check on Tammy's progress. Reverse brainwashing is a real bitch, lemme tell ya. See you guys at dinner!" and she was gone from the room, a distant opening and closing of a door sounding her departure from the home.

"Tammy?" Rick questioned in disgust bordering on hatred, "That little bitch-?"

"Brainwashed!" Summer interrupted before Rick went off on the point of no return concerning her friend, "She was abducted and brainwashed by the Federation, Rick. So go easy on her, okay?"

"Whatever," Rick practically pouted, "I-It'll – It'll take me a while."

"So…" Rikki broke the tension after a nearly a minute of silence, "Tell me this… what the hell does ' _get schwifty_ ' mean?"

"You saw that?!" Morty and Rick screeched simultaneously.

"Of course we did, it was transmitted all over the galaxy!" Rikki snorted and slipped down from the couch's arm to sit beside his mother who was grinning devilishly along with him.

"And you didn't think – think maybe you should come to the – come to rescue us?" Rick stammered out, seemingly more flustered under Lucei's grin and stare.

She shook her head, smile still in place, "You weren't in any danger."

"Gr-Gramma, they blew up disqualifying planets!" Morty's voice squeaked with emotion.

She shifted her gaze away from Rick and to Morty, and Rick felt somewhat relieved to be temporarily free from her penetrating eyes, "No, they don't. Do you really think I would allow that shit?" Rick felt something thump in his gut at the sound of those confident words, confident words from a powerful woman; he felt her stare on him before he connected his sight with hers once again, feeling a little hot under the collar when she went on to explain, "Besides, I sold them the plasma ray. Worvren's got a reputation for peace _and_ deadly arms production. They asked for a new weapon and I provided it. Leaving out the detail that it scans the planet and calculates where to adequately put it in the universe before teleporting it away with a simulated explosion…"

Rick seemed to mull that explanation over with a hum before he concluded, "Hm… Yep, that-that's pretty sexy."

Both Summer and Morty scoffed at their grandfather's commending word of choice. While Beth and Rikki were unruffled except for a shared good-hearted eye roll. But even Morty and Summer could sense the shift in mood between their reunited grandparents. What had started as rocky and haughty had progressed to straight up pining. It had been nearly two decades. Two decades of Rick mourning the wife he was sure he had lost, two decades of Lucei fighting for her home and people, keeping an ear and eye out for her wayward husband; both of them guilty of having left their daughter abandoned on Earth. They hadn't been on the best of terms preceding the day Big Bad Wolf Lucei had died and Rick had fled, but clearly embers of old feelings were warming up, emitting sparks and flickering into something brighter and burning hotter with each passing moment.

"Alright!" Beth announced, slapping her hands to her own thighs before she stood up, "Let's see if there's anything we can make for dinner, huh?" she glanced pointedly to her children, who wearily stood up to follow her to the kitchen. Beth sent a wink her mother's way as she passed her by, and Lucei gave her a grateful little smirk in return.

"I honestly think we're out of the bare necessities for dinner preparation," Rikki threw in as he stood up, briefly placing his hand on Lucei's shoulder as he headed to the kitchen as well, "We'll probably have to make a run to the shop."

"I'll drive!" Summer offered.

"Aw geez, I think – I really think we should let Uncle Rikki drive this time, Summer."

"You get to drive spaceships all the time!"

"Y-Yeah! Be-Because I know how to pilot them! You can't even – Y-Y-You never even got your driver's license on Earth!"

The sound of bickering grandchildren and adults trailing after them trying to placate them began to fade, following a door opening and closing with a thud, the house was bathed in sweet silence… Leaving Lucei and Rick alone, sitting on adjacent couches, and Rick having trouble meeting Lucei's eyes when social buffers weren't around.

"I don't hate you," Lucei murmured, causing Rick's gaze to snap up, "If that's what you think… After all the shit that we've been through, I'd still definitely di-"

"Don- Don't even finish that sentence. Y-You've already done _that_ before, you can't do thi – can't do that to me again, al-al-alright? Ever, Lucy – o-okay?"

Lucei nodded, "I'll do my best."

And for a while it was quiet again, with the distance between them it seemed even more unbearably awkward until Rick sighed and motioned with his right hand, "Would you just – just come over here, already?"

Lucei was up and crossing the short space between the couches to sit beside Rick and nestle comfortably against his side in a hot second. She was careful of where to rest her weight, though it was difficult with Rick's arm settled around her and crushing her closer. "You smell like ass," Lucei commented as easily as if they hadn't spent decades apart.

"Oh shit," Rick muttered and released her from his hold, "He-Here, lemme, or… Help me to the shower, or some-something."

"Strong enough to stand in the shower on your own?" she asked, standing up once he began to shift and prepare himself to stand as well.

"Yeah, yeah. Just. I need a second to-" he mumbled and cursed and groaned in frustration when Lucei ultimately pulled him to stand, careful of the IV still in his left arm connecting him to the drip stand. "Damn, strong woman."

Lucei scoffed as she hooked her arm around his waist and began to shuffle him along her home toward her room, "You like how strong I am."

"Correction: I love it," Rick grinned down at her.

"Go clean yourself up, you smell like six months in the slammer," Lucei replied trying and failing not to return his grin as they entered her bedroom's en suite bathroom. She had to let go of him to start the water for him, and then turned back to him to see an expectant look coloring his face.

"I'm not ripping this outta my arm, you- you gotta do it," Rick nodded to his left arm.

Lucei grinned again, rummaging around her drawers for a cotton ball and tape before she approached Rick. She removed the roller clamp, and then the catheter without causing Rick any pain. The cotton and tape were gently placed over the little hole in his arm and she quietly announced, "There, done." Glancing up she was startled to see Rick's eyes had likely been studying her the whole time she was focused with her task.

She could feel her heart thump achingly hard before it accelerated into something excitedly frantic.

Rick was looking down into her hazel eyes again, they seemed greener today, the shade Morty's eyes tended towards. He thought he'd only ever see her eyes again through his grandson's inquisitive stare or punishing glare, but here he stood, staring down into Lucei's eyes. His right hand hovered up from his side to rest on her cheek, his thumb brushing against her still soft, still strikingly alien pale and perfect skin, hardly a sign of aging aside from the history told in her eyes.

"You're so… goddamn beautiful, Lucy… You look like you're still in your thirties," Rick commented genuinely, and Lucei's lashes fluttered in flattery, until she squeezed her eyes shut and snorted loudly at Rick's following comment of, "And I'm an old fuck."

When she looked up at him again she placed her hand over his and the other on his shoulder, pulling him down fractionally as she leaned upward and caught his lips in a brief yet lingering kiss. When she returned to her normal height, she patted his shoulder once and assured him, "You're still handsome."

"Pfft," he sneered, "Not still **hot** like you."

Lucei rolled her eyes and slipped away from Rick's touch, "Shut up and shower, stank-ass." She side stepped around him, and adding as she went, "I won't be far away, if you need me."

"Al-Always need you, babe," Rick answered as he began to undress, he chuckled to himself when he was answered with the bathroom door slamming shut after a jokingly disgusted groan.

Before Rick stepped into the shower, he cranked the knob previously adjusted to warm all the way to cold. He stepped into the spray and released a hard shudder against the frigid water. He had to be sure he wasn't dreaming, but when the icy drizzle persisted and he didn't 'wake', he reached with trembling cold fingers to turn the knob back to warm. This was real. His family had rescued him. His wife was alive and orchestrated his rescue. He absolutely didn't deserve her… he never did… and, come to think of it, he wasn't even sure if he still had her. He made quick work of washing up and stepped out into the heavily steamed bathroom several minutes later.

He scrubbed his hair dry enough with a towel, and then slung the fabric around his thin hips as he strode from the bathroom and stood in the doorway to find Lucei scrunched up in a ball beneath the covers of her enormous bed. The room was dark after he turned out the bathroom light, the windows covered in drapes that canceled out the light, and the humid draft was trailing after him. His old eyes adjusted slowly, but he could still make out the small lump beneath the covers, and he could clearly hear her huff of exasperation before she criticized, "Human eyes take too damn long to grow accustom to darkness." Rick's heart swelled with something nostalgic, the familiarity of the situation. "Are you gonna come over here or what, Rick?" Lucei's voice sounded again, kinder, beaconing.

Rick walked over to the bed and crawled in beside her without comment. Lucei opened up her arms to Rick and he settled in, accepting her proffered guidance to rest his head on her decidedly bigger bust than last he encountered it. They shared in a companionable silence for a while, much like they had the first night they shared Rick's bed after escaping the prisoner transport ship.

Rick had to break the silence though, he still had questions to ask, though he couldn't recall them all at once, he figured if he started talking they'd spill out, "So, uhh… Twins, huh?"

"Mmmhm. My dad was a twin, guess it skipped a generation."

"Mm. Boy and another girl…"

"Well… Two boys," Lucei revised, "Norma is in the late stages of transitioning. Would be so much easier on her if she wasn't half human."

Rad, Rick thought, filing away any new inquiries about Sirenum for later discussion, then muttered aloud, "Mm, right on. So… what're their full names?"

Lucei faltered before stating, "You never even asked **me** my full name."

"We-ll, the other Sir-ren-renum I met ages ago had huge-ass names; _you_ introduced yourself as Lucei, I didn't know if there was more to it or if you were just lucky."

She took in a breath and then, "Luceiuzawonohai," rolled off her tongue.

It was Rick's turn to falter, "Fuck, that is a mouthful."

"Hence my decision to go by Lucei… but I… I like Lucy better, anyhow."

"Hm, nothing like a charming scoundrel drifter in a prisoner transporter supplying the best i-i-improm – o-off the cuff nickname for you," Rick boasted, then redirected the conversation back to the twins, "So the names."

"Rikyylo Azuir G'Zuvren."

"Fine."

"Normalovendali G'Zuvren."

"Fuckin'!" he cursed, "Li-like mother like daughter, god _damn_!"

" **She** chose that name, thanks. _I_ shortened it to Norma."

Rick released a short, hot laugh against her bosom, "Thank fuck I was around when you were naming Beth."

"Shut up, that's my culture, you shithead."

"Even you think the names are too long!"

Lucei laughed as she raised a hand to pinch at Rick's ear, "Shut up, _Ricardo Eligius Akule Sanchez_."

"To-Touché, babe." The silence returned as they basked in the comfortable silence yet again, but an uncomfortable thought occurred to Rick, the same that he had glanced on whilst showering. His arm had hooked around Lucei's waist at some point, and he drew it tighter around her as he muttered, with great uncertainty in his tone, "So… D'you… Y'know, think tha-that you a-and I…" he trailed off, and she had obtained the message well enough, pulling in a great sigh of breath as he stuttered.

"Some people just don't work together, Rick. We had puppy love, I think. More often than not when we weren't screaming at each other we were hatefucking the life out of each other half hoping it would kill one of us."

Rick's expression smirked and grimaced at the brief but accurate synopsis of their relationship. His arm clutched a little tighter again, stumbling with a desperation and nervousness rather than an alcohol induced slur with his words, "I know. I-I-I'm a huge asshole, my family's made that very, very clear to me. B-But I mean… After I thought you died, Lucy… I thought I – I-I-I mean, I knew I could never, actually - l-legitimately love again, no-not like I loved – love you, Lucy."

Lucei pulled away enough so that they could gain eye contact through the darkness, Rick reluctantly pulled his head away from the comfortable perch of her bust, "And how do you know this isn't just some, like… recurring… honeymoon phase again. Or something…toxic…"

"Kiss me," came Rick's impulsive response, "And we'll see where it goes."

…

Reunion fucking: far better than hatefucking, but much more isolated than hatefucking; more unique and far less likely to occur as often than regular or hate fucks.

Stamina and strength were in short supply at the moment, with Rick recovering from prison conditions and a harsh detox, and Lucei still recovering from several bruised and broken ribs, but that didn't soften their determination, didn't give them pause from going just as hard and fast as they used to go when they were younger.

They were at it for several hours, several pauses, several climaxes shared between them. Rick's forgotten towel tangled beneath their entwined bodies, Lucei's clothes strewn over the rumpled blankets. Rick had taken into account each new bluish purple scar on her skin, wary of the still blackened bruising around the left side of her ribs, but not at all of the new bruises he applied to her skin himself.

Rick's constant throaty groaning and panting came to a halt when his eyes peeked over Lucei's shoulder and he caught sight of the bedroom door cracking open, spilling light into the room. His hips stilled and his hands clamped onto Lucei's to cease her near violent bouncing on his lap as well. But then something sick and strange, the door pushed open further, surely the sight of… well at the very least the sight of a 61-year-old man's nude body would've sent them turning tail and running as far and as fast as they could. Given Beth and Summer's track record with seeing Rick naked, maybe they were used to it by now, but still! They were fucking! And Beth and Summer were sticking their heads into the room.

"Wh-Why aren't they running screaming?" Rick whispered.

And Lucei finally turned to understand his reason for pause, she snorted as she turned back to Rick and gestured to the bedside table, where a very small but familiar looking mechanical object sat, "Remember that sound proofing device you made? I made one too, only this projects an image – what they're seeing is just two old people peacefully sleeping in each other's arms, so peaceful and sweet they wouldn't dare disturb us," she explained and started up their lost rhythm again, "Not that they could disturb us, since the barrier is a five-foot radius around the bed."

Rick listened well enough until she began grinding in his lap, he let out a shuddered gasp, eyes fluttering shut just as Beth and Summer snuck out of the room, latching the door after them, "Diabolic ge-genius, babe."

"I know," Lucei grinned, actually grinned, all sweat shiny and chest heaving, Rick nearly busted too soon again but contained himself, especially with her next huskily sighed demand, "Now fuck me 'til my ribs hurt again." Rick fully intended to oblige that request…

When his grandkids brought up Lucei he hadn't thought of her in a long while, it was like the wound that it always felt like, fresh as the day he received it. He'd never considered that the wound would actually heal. He'd long ago given up on getting Lucei back again; but now here he was living on Worvren as a goddamn consort to the Queen, with his heritor children and grandchildren, making up for all the lost time with them, the woman he thought he'd lost forever alongside him.

Even if it was all just a vivid hallucinatory dream and he was still rotting away in Galactic Federation maximum security prison, he hoped he'd never wake up…

.

.

.

.

.

Note: Belatedly I do realize that there are some oddities with this story/head canon of mine… but it's just a fan's speculation filling in the blanks. So let's not make this weird and just remember it's just a fanfic.

Thanks for reading! Thanks to those who reviewed and followed!


End file.
